The Defective Times and Dale: Cameron's Latest Recruits Stood For a Party Founded by a Former NF Activist and Jailbird

Strangely enough the humungous triumph of Dave-id Cameron in scooping up two ex-Labour councillors with a rather scrappy track record, a defection while in office to a local community "party", absolutely no status - not even as voters in Ealing Southall - has not bothered the Hounslow Guardian. Instead, unlike The Times and the Tory Boy Blogger in chief, they focus on proper stories.

There is for example a local shortage of black and asian sperm. And, strangely enough, a Tory has resigned from Hounslow Council causing a by-election. Which incidentally Labour could win:

The full list of candidates for the Hanworth Park byelection has been revealed, with former council leader Colin Ellar hoping the election will get him back in the council.

He is standing for Labour in the by- election caused by the resignation of Councillor Harley Buckner, who is leaving due to differences with the Conservative administration Mr Ellar, who is 56, has lived in the borough since 1996 with his partner, Yvonne, and teenage son.

He lost his seat after a shock defeat in last year's borough election, ending 35 year's of Labour dominance.

Obviously, LOL was quick to condemn the crappy story overnight. Comments there, and Unity here and here expose some fo the details of just how silly this story was and is.

The two supposed Labour Councillors were (a) ex-Labour and (b) ex-Councillors and (c) opportunist members of a marvellously bizarre local pressure group come party or some such. This afternoon the Guardian also gave the Tories a bit of a twatting on this.

Here is their charge sheet for the 2006 Hounslow "all out":

Cranford Ward results sheet in the London Borough of Hounslow Council Elections.
Date of election: 4th May 2006
Turnout: 40.8%
Name PARTY Votes Elected (Y/N)
AUSTIN, JACK HERBERT CONSERVATIVE 491 N
CHAUDHARY, MOHAMMED HUSSAIN LABOUR 1275 Y
DARLEY, ANDREW SIMON LIB DEM 417 N
DHILLON, POONAM LABOUR 1346 Y
GILL, SARBJIT SINGH INDEP ALLIANCE 971 N
HAMEED, SAIMA LIB DEM 431 N
KAD, PARMOD KUMAR INDEP ALLIANCE 922 N
MARAS, SUKHDEV SINGH INDEP ALLIANCE 815 N
PRACHAR, WARWICK WILLIAM IND 61 N
SANGHA, SOHAN SINGH LABOUR 1254 Y

They were 4th and 5th in a three member seat.

With Labour their 2002 results had been rather better.

This is their then new party's own description of itself:

THE Independent Community Group (ICG) is a non-party political residents' action group which seeks to empower our local community by giving it as great a say as possible in the local decision-making process. We work to build an inclusive community in which all local citizens are treated equally and with respect, and have an equal right to participate in local community affairs.

We welcome members and supporters from across the political spectrum who share this objective with us. We are not from the political "left", "right" or "centre", we are simply local residents who want to put people before politics.

Our present policy is to try to achieve our objectives through fighting local elections, although we stress that under different circumstances the ICG could operate as a pressure group outside of the electoral arena.

Here are a few "bullet points" outlining some of the changes which we hope to make in the event of Community councillors playing a part in any new administration:

Community councillors will
Actively encourage community participation in the local decision-making process.
Prioritise front-line services.
Improve "quality of life" by means of a proactive initiative targeting graffiti, repairing and maintaining footpaths and highways, cleaning up our parks and open spaces making them more user-friendly, and improving waste collection. We will reintroduce free rubbish bags for those who use them responsibly.
Keep Council Tax down to a more acceptable level by trimming unnecessary bureaucracy and eliminating spending on political propaganda rather than attacking essential services.
Stop the imposition of unjustifiable "penalties" on leaseholders on our estates. Everybody should pay their fair share, but current policy amounts to outright theft.
Encourage and assist the creation and development of resident-led interest groups within the community.
Total and unconditional support for the Mogden Residents' Action Group (MRAG) and the residents' campaign against odour and mosquito nuisance from Mogden STW.
End the exclusion of the majority of tenants from active participation on our estates by means of a radical overhaul and depoliticsation of Hounslow Homes. We will do whatever it takes to ensure that our housing operation is transformed into a service to our tenants rather than the vehicle for political and social control which it currently is.
Use our Area Committees to their full potential for the devolution of policy-making to local communities, including the encouragement of public participation.
Improve customer complaint procedures at the council wherever possible and enforce existing requirements which are at present routinely ignored.
Recognise the value of Brentford Football Club to the local community and assist it where possible in its efforts to relocate within the borough.
Hold regular surgeries with dates and times widely advertised, as opposed to the absurd "telephone trail" cynically employed by our MP as a means of discouraging constituents.
A fairer traffic and parking policy which is centered around the needs of residents rather than the maximisation of revenue.
Support regeneration of our local area but only where it is sympathetic to the existing character of the area and conducive to the interests of the existing community.
Instigate positive action for a clean and sustainable local environment.

A manifesto on a side of A4. There's a thought.

But THIS "scamwatch" section is fascinating. In many ways the group's whole raison d'etre is chipping away at local "his and hers" MPs Alan & Ann Keen.

But they also reveal within this link that their founder:

A. Has a very considerable record indeed as a fascist member, activist and organiser of the National Front;
B. Has a conviction and jail time for bricking a crowd of policemen from a moving train causing ABH;
C. Believes in what he calls "total democracy": and
D. Has a bit of a running battle going on with Andrew Gilligan over various exposes.

Parmod Kad, by the way, has an MBE. As well as being in a pair of ex-Labour, ex-fellow-traveller-with-NF-convict, and now - in their third party in about 15 months, I reckon - Cameron's Conservative Party members. But they have no agency in Ealing Southall. They do not even appear to be voters there.

Dale's good friend Anne Widdecombe should surely tell him to pull his socks up?