Unethical, Inappropriate and Irresponsible

The River Ward Conservative Campaign stands in tatters this weekend after the overt and highly partisan attacks by Cllr Craig MacKinlay were shockingly labelled 'unethical, inappropriate and irresponsible' by police.

This blog highlighted last week the disgraceful leaflet being delivered by the blue-rinse brigade across the ward and made efforts to communicate the position to the local media. Indeed, not commented last week was the fact that this blogger personally saw Conservative Council candidates for next years 2011 elections hand-delivering the smear leaflet to residents, in what is a reflection on the calibre of local government candidates to stand on their own two feet.

An issue which also brings into clear focus how the right wing in Medway stoop to ever lower levels to shamelessly win.

The leaflet came to a head at this weeks meeting of the Kent Police Authority where career officer and public servant Ian Learmonth refused to shake the hand of former UKIP defector Cllr MacKinlay, Councillor for River Ward and Agent. It then became clear as to why; Kent Police were in the process of reporting him to the Standards Board for conduct unbecoming.

Rochester & Strood MP Mark Reckless, apparently stony-faced at the Kent Police Authority meeting was at pains to support his erst-while colleague.

Kent Police have lambasted former Medway Conservative leadership hopeful of 'disreputable falsehoods' in suggesting it used bullying tactics to persuade Conservative candidate David Craggs to resign just 13 days into the job.

The Tory leaflet, sanctioned by Medway Conservatives, accused long-serving Ian Learmonth of ignoring police rules.

A police spokesman replied that the leaflet was disgraceful and beneath contempt and "to selectively quote from one source and ignore other published policy and regulations, as the leaflet does, is unprofessional and unethical. At no point did the force bully out Mr Craggs"

The leaflet made no mention to the inevitable by-election and did not mention the candidate Alan MacKness, who has remained silent throughout. His silence is noted by voters across the ward.

This blog has also became aware that former Tory Councillor Nick Brice, who was caught kerb-crawling in the New Road area of River Ward in November 2009, had and will continue to campaign for the election of a Conservative in the River Ward seat. This despite the fact that the River Ward Councillor position was to challenge kerb-crawling head-on, it appears that Nick Brice can wear a blue rosette and campaign for a Conservative victory. This blog considers this poor taste and deeply ironic igiven that the behaviour of kerb-crawling blights parts of the ward.

The Police have also made starkly clear that at no point had anyone from the RSCCA made any attempt to contact the Police and at no point had David Craggs made any attempt to clarify the position prior to his election. That point is absolutely crucial as it blows away the core argument of the Conservatives that the Police changed their position at the last moment.

The Police have now accuse Cllr MacKinlay of:

'Unethical, inappropriate and irresponsible' behaviour which has 'bought his office and authority as Councillor and public servent into disrepute'

Medway Conservatives are now utterly rudderless this weekend. It has now become clear that the agent should stand down as agent to stop the damage impacting the election result in a key marginal seat.

It also raises very real management question about any potential Council leader who could seek to politicise issues. A few Council Officers will be privately harbouring fears for next year should the Conservatives win an outright majority.

It can also be revealed that the by-election has gone up in cost to £11,500 but the attempts for all parties to seek assurances that the Rochester & Strood Conservative Association should pay the fee have fallen on deaf ears.

The Rochester & Strood Association was placed into 'special measures' a few years ago after membership lists were lost. It has suffered the indignity of countless Councillors being brought into disrepute over the last four years and recently we had our newly elected 'legless' Conservative MP in the press making a joke of himself at the Commons Bar. Former Councillor John Ward resigned the party after this blog suspected he was told to keep silent on local selections.

It truly is a time for a clear-out of this incompetent, inept, venile, foul and back-stabbing bunch of fools. River Ward voters will soon make their choice and next year you can make yours.