Some people say that a week is a long time in politics, but two years has proven to be an eternity for the people of Hounslow.
My family and I, like many others in Cranford and across the borough, feel betrayed by the current Conservative administration propped up by the Independent Community Group (ICG) that is proving to be a failure.
The Conservatives appear to be pushing a programme of severe cuts to the front-line services and jobs that are needed to implement those crucial services. They appear to be out of touch and distanced from the views of the ordinary hardworking men and women of Hounslow.
What really saddens me is that these cuts appear to be supported by Cllr Mark Bowen, local Tory wannabe MP, who is the current deputy leader of the council. This is a clear indictment of Cllr Bowen's and Cllr Thompson's frail leadership in the west of the borough, equating to a lack of governance and representation for the people.
Like these local Conservatives, David Cameron nationally has proved lightweight under economic budgetary pressures. There is a consensus among many local people that Tories are clearly out of their depth and out of touch with the local communities. I am convinced the failing of the Conservative administration is not going unnoticed. I shall never forget the recent plight of an elderly man who leant his back on to the fence in a local park and said when will the council repair this bench for me to sit on? When will they clear the rubbish and replace the burnt-out dustbins in Waye Avenue Park? A passer-by commented the neglect was the consequence of the cuts.
Local communities talk and feel that changes in 2006 have proven to be a false dawn for many hardworking people of Hounslow. Our society cannot develop without cohesive and effective leadership which is engaged with our local needs.
PARMOD KAD Former Labour councillor, Cranford ward Waye Avenue, Cranford. :
