This Council is currently under No Overall Control. In practice, it is run by a Labour/Lib Dem coalition who seem to get on together like cats tied up in a bag. The Walthamstow Guardian letters page (letters page not online) seems to be full of letters from Councillors bitterly slagging each other off. Whatever their differences, they don't seem to be about policy. Both parties are enthusiastic privatisers in the currently fashionable neoliberal style. Anyway, if you live in Waltham Forest this is your chance to do something about it.
The candidates list has just been published. There are 207 candidates in 20 wards. The Conservatives, Labour, and Liberal Democrats are each standing 3 candidates in each ward. The Greens are standing 1 candidate in each ward except for 2 (Chingford Green and Valley). Respect are standing 4 candidates (2 each in Leytonstone and Markhouse). There is 1 Socialist Alternative candidate (High Street). There are 2 Independents (both in Cathall). UKIP is standing 1 candidate (in Larkswood), and the BNP have 1 candidate (in Hatch Lane).
London Strategic Voter are arguing for tactical votes to get New Labour out. I am very sympathetic to this view as New Labour have gone way beyond the bounds of the acceptable (e.g. Iraq, attacks on civil liberties, privatisation in health education and housing, etc). But are LSV right in recommending voting for the Lib Dems? Personally, although I don't want to waste my vote I like to vote FOR something if at all possible.
So if I lived in a ward with Respect candidates, they would get my votes. I don't believe such votes would be wasted. They received a very good level of support in the Leytonstone byelection not long ago and it is quite credible that they could be the main challengers to New Labour in those wards. What about the other 18 wards though? I think it's worth voting for the Greens. I don't agree with all their policies but they are avowedly anti-neoliberal, and for me that's the main thing. They also have enough weight not to be merely token candidates. I am sorry to say that I think that the Socialist Alternative probably is a token candidate. It's too important to get New Labour out to waste votes on token candidates, even if they have good policies. I don't know anything yet about the 2 Independents in Cathall ward.
So, what about the Lib Dems? With a heavy heart, I would argue that if you only have a choice between the 3 main parties and the Greens - and you have 3 votes - you should cast 1 vote for the Greens and 2 for the Lib Dems. Not because I believe there is any real difference between Labour and the Lib Dems, but because it is really vital to kick New Labour in the teeth. A really bad result in the local elections may help to undermine the Blair/Brown national agenda. We really mustn't miss any opportunity to do that.
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