By By Chris Osbourne
Final three candidates for tomorrow’s big day!
Chris Barker.
CARPETBAGGER OR SAVIOUR?
Brexit is without doubt the single issue towering over all others in this election. It is so important an issue that there is a party dedicated solely to bringing it about. Grimsby has a candidate for the Brexit Party standing in the election. Christopher Barker. His single policy is to bring about Brexit. A popular sentiment which resonates with many voters in Grimsby, some of whom feel let down by the Labour or Conservatives willingness to bring this about. So what do we know about Barker the candidate. Well absolutely nothing to be honest. He has steadfastly refuse to release any information about himself whatsoever. He has stonewalled every attempt to tell the people of Grimsby how he may be suitable for the job as their MP.
He may claim it’s a matter of security, but many see it as an arrogant contempt for the people who’s vote he covets. On the surface he seems to have been parachuted in from Surrey to seek election in a town he knows nothing about, a community he clearly has no respect for and with no intention of representing us in many of the issues Grimsby faces. The only commonality he seems to have with anyone local is a desire to leave the EU. While there are many who see Brexit as the only issue of note, there are many others who see Grimsby’s many other problems as paramount or at least as important as Brexit.
Where does he stand on unemployment, housing, the NHS? What are his views on promoting Grimsby etc? He appears to have no feelings whatsoever about any of these things. Unlike the other candidates he opposes, Barker wasn’t selected from a consensus of local party members, He was merely selected by Nigel Farage and the executive committee to stand in Grimsby.
Farage’s record of selecting candidates for Grimsby has always been a car crash and once again he appears to have snatched defeat from the jaws of victory. Farage like many others in the past completely fails to understand Grimsby voters. He seems to think we are all miserable ex fishermen yearning for a return to the seas. Rough unthinking Northeners. His appeal to the nationalistic element is as limited as his scope of the political system. Barker seems to be nothing more than the Head Office drone sent out to some wild outpost in the wilds to educate the natives.
It’s clear he has no respect for the Grimsby community and I think that while he may well gain the Brexit hardcore vote, he offers nothing for the average voter. His only achivement in this election may be to take enough votes from Labout to ensure a Conservative victory. The reality is that he is firmly entrenched on the right wing of politics and is likely to attract disaffected Tory voters allowing Melanie Onn and Labour to retain the seat.
With only a day to go, if Barker is serious about fighting for the seat and wants to attract something other than odd looking bees, he needs to start engaging with people and fast.
LLOYD EMMERSON
For a young man Lloyd Emmerson is racking up the number of elections he has campaigned in. This week he is the choice of the Green Party. Although they have never enjoyed massive local support in elections, their agenda has become increasingly important over the years. For many years they have tirelessly made people aware of issues surrounding Climate Change and promoting a more eco friendly way of living. They must be somewhat irked to find that their traditional ground has been hijacked by the major parties and pushed the Greens aside. This notwithstanding, as Climate change becomes more and more a central issue the public may be increasingly drawn towards the Green Party. They probably won’t feature that heavily in this election but the future could well be theirs.
NIGEL WINN
Nigel Winn is standing as an Independent candidate for Grimsby in this year’s election. Given the high profile battle between the Labour Party and the Conservatives this year, it might be easy to forget some of the less publicised candidates. Nigel is standing on a firm platform of Grimsby first. He states unreservedly that he will represent the town by voting in accordance with resident ‘s wishes in all matters. That might be easier to do on some of the higher profile issues like Brexit or Criminal Justice matters, but he is unlikely to receive much guidance on the more mundane matters in Parliament. While positioning himself as a potential delegate for Grimsby as opposed to being a representative for Grimsby, he will often find himself without any local guidance. Deciding on the length of a banana or how school teachers are selected won’t elicit the same feedback from local residents that Briexit would. Winn offers a refreshingly different option to voters, but with battle lines being firmly drawn across the Brexit battlefield, he may struggle to win much support. Independent’s are the backbone of democracy in the UK and living proof that any person can stand for Parliament and we hope he enjoys the experience.
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