Month: May 2024
Signing for Seaton, as Richard prepares to submit his nomination papers
I was honoured to be asked by Richard Foord to second his nomination as candidate for the General Election. This is an honour for Seaton, as well as for me personally, and recognises the close bond Richard has formed with the town since he was elected two years ago – especially in our campaign to save Seaton Hospital.
The Conservatives, by handing over the Hospital to a property company and stripping it of its beds, made Seaton Hospital vulnerable. By returning Richard to Parliament, we will have the best possible parliamentary support in the final stages of the campaign – and an MP who the new government are more likely to listen to than a Conservative.
Sandra Semple – a tribute from Claire Wright
Sandra Semple, who was Mayor of Seaton for three consecutive years a little over a decade ago, has died of cancer age 75, in Exeter where she and her husband James lived for the last few years. In line with her wishes, there will not be a funeral.
I will post a full appreciation in the next couple of days, but meanwhile these comments by Claire Wright speak for many of us:
“Sandra was a truly remarkable woman, from her career at the UN to being a mental health nurse.
“The impact she made in East Devon, mostly behind the scenes without glory will always be remembered by those of us who had trouble keeping up with her proliferation of blog posts, most of which were absolutely hilarious. She was certainly at the forefront of creating the tidal wave of awareness that ousted the Tories from their 40 year rule in East Devon.
“She was clever, great fun and hugely supportive to me, both professionally and personally. I often confided in her safe the knowledge that she was completely discreet and she always had a unique perspective to offer.
“It was Sandra who came up with Free to Speak. Free to Act which was so perfect and is now used by other indies as it encapsulated everything that was important about being indie!
“For the past year I haven’t been able to visit as she’s been too unwell but I did write to her in February thanking her from the bottom of my heart for everything she did to support me over the years.
“That she didn’t want a funeral is typical of Sandra’s no nonsense approach. Truly unconventional.”
Photo by Chrissie Evans.
Easy guide to voting in the General Election
- REGISTER TO VOTE – it’s quick and easy to do online. If you have moved in the last year, you may need to put yourself on the Electoral Register. CLICK HERE.
- GET A POSTAL VOTE – if you’ll be away on the day, or might have difficulty getting to the polling station, get a postal vote. CLICK HERE.
- GET THE RIGHT PHOTO I.D. TO VOTE IN PERSON – CLICK HERE to check the list of permitted IDs and apply for a Voter Authority Certificate
Get on to this now, so it’s sorted, and you won’t lose your vote.
Richard needs leafleters in Seaton
Please contact me, go straight to his HQ in Honiton High Street, or volunteer via richardfoord.org.uk where you can also tell the campaign if you will put up a sign or poster.
The election will be very close locally – Tories will sneak in if people waste their votes on Labour, pollster predicts
Pollsters Electoral Calculus predict that Conservative candidate, Simon Jupp, could sneak in with only 36 per cent of the vote, if a sizeable number of people vote Labour instead of the only realistic alternative, our Liberal Democrat MP Richard Foord. Do we really want our excellent new MP, the first non-Conservative elected here, to be cast out like this – leaving us as one of the few part of the country still represented by the discredited Tories?
| Party | 2019 Votes estimated for new boundaries | 2019 Share estimated for new boundaries | 2022 By-election | Predicted 2024 Share |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| CONSERVATIVE | 30,752 | 57.0% | 38.5% | 36.4% |
| INDEPENDENT | 8,464 | 15.7% | didn’t stand | not standing |
| LABOUR | 7,492 | 13.9% | 3.7% | 16.1% |
| LIB DEM | 5,280 | 9.8% | 52.9% | 33.7% |
| Green | 1,202 | 2.2% | 2.5% | 2.8% |
| OTH | 748 | 1.4% | 1.3% | 1.3% |
| Reform | 0 | didn’t stand | 1.1% | 9.7% |
| CON Majority | 22,288 | 41.3% | 2.6% Predicted Majority |
Levelling-up has been little more than a hollow slogan
Seaton’s seafront bid was ignored. Report from Devon Live: https://www.devonlive.com/news/news-opinion/levelling-up-been-little-more-9298346?IYA-mail=adc0c5a9-26cd-4e5e-b205-75658af49bef
General Election at last: Richard is our man
After fourteen years in which East Devon has been taken for granted and our NHS run down – with our community hospitals stripped of their beds and lined up for demolition – we finally have an opportunity to remove the discredited Conservative government.
Richard Foord, our Lib Dem MP, has shown himself an excellent friend of Seaton and Colyton and had worked tirelessly for the hospital. Put your X next to his name on July 4th.
Not just SW Water – the Tories are also to blame for the scandal of our privatised water industry
Paul Arnott’s plea for people to take part in the “Green Wedge” consultation
Paul Arnott, leader of EDDC (his column on the local press):
On Monday night this week for the first time in years I watched the climax of the world snooker finals on BBC2 when Kyren Wilson prevailed over the dignified Jak Jones. It took me back…
— Read on eastdevonwatch.org/2024/05/09/paul-arnott-explains-the-reason-behind-the-green-wedge-consultation/
Seaton & Colyton MATTERS 