Has anyone else noticed this media trend, or is it just me? There was a time, back when Tories held the majority at County Hall, when I felt like Michael Knight, a lone crusader championing criticisms of the council. Now the Lib Dems have taken command, every man and his blog are jumping the bandwagon claiming Wiltshire Council has descended into chaos and mayhem. From Kenny J Plebb’s local gutter press to… well, I’d expect no less from Newsquest…..
Maybe it has, but more likely, it’s media bias showing its true colours. What I’ve seen coming from the council since the takeover has been mostly positive. Roads being repaired for the first time since the Roman invasion of Britain. Recreation centres and town halls are being renovated and reopening. They’ve reversed the censorship regulations placed on White Horse Publications, such as Melksham News. Wragg’s Visit Wiltshire gets funded again, to bring back that profitable thing called “tourism” you’ve probably forgotten all about. Disabled folk don’t need to trot four miles to get a loaf of bread from the shop. Wiltshire parents and carers are getting free courses, kids can swim free again. They approved a new Air Quality Supplementary Planning Document and switched to an electric fleet of vehicles.
To me, this sounds far better than the previous council who laughed off six million pounds of taxpayer’s dosh which went mysteriously missing on their watch, of which the media conveniently swept under the carpet, spent four million on an unnecessary PCC re-election after their first attempt was a drunk-driving huntsmaster, just to maintain Conservative presence in the force, couldn’t fix a pothole yet proposed a six billion pound project to tunnel underneath our most famous ancient monument, and awarded their families top roles in the council.
Yet the media will have us believe it’s all falling apart, despite progress clearly being made, that they’re hiding secrets despite holding public forums, and rewarding themselves massive pay rises, despite it was only allowances in line with inflation, and their wage not being great to begin with for the work they do and criticisms they have to face, kind of bringing us full circle!
Let’s face it, if there’s any turmoil within Wiltshire Council it’s the few remaining Conservatives hanging on like a milk tooth on a nerve, bitter about losing, and the ten stronghold Weebles who insist we should forget about human extinction and convert to fascism.
But whoa, Conservatives completely hijacked a motion set by Liberal Democrat portfolio holder for arts and culture, Liz Alstrom, supporting the LGBTQIA+ community, and it was sadly rejected. Meanwhile, Reform councillors are singing from the rafters with big sheets of wool to pull over our eyes that they didn’t vote for a pay rise, but took it anyway, and virtual-signalled how righteous and humble they pretend to be; this is an educated state, not a trip a Trumpton!
Provided a dedicated Council is working hard to create better services for us all, perhaps they deserve a bit more pocket money, but should a councillor temper-tantrum against unity and equality, because someone likes to wear Cuban heels, or is a shade too dark for their liking, and resists progress because it doesn’t fit their narrow-minded prejudice rhetoric, maybe a sack of coal is all they deserve from Santa this year.
Take Lib Dem Cllr Jon Hubbard, for example. He might look like he’s doing a paper round, but the guy has done more good for this county than an entire Conservative Vogon Constructor Fleet! Give this dude a rise, so he can get himself a new fleece! Left to the opponents poor children would drown, then who will deliver their future Hadley Rose luxury home furnishings, huh?!
We all wouldn’t mind a pay rise, and probably wouldn’t refuse one either, unless we were funded by Russian oligarchs. Basically it’s a whole lot of hot air from the deceitful Reform ten, who it seems, from locations they’ve miraculously achieved a majority, would rather spend thousands on flags they can shag, than social care, road safety or education facilities.
Yet Calne Reform nut-job, Cllr Augusta Urquhart-Nicholls insists with that age-old malapropistic ultranationalist pufferied slogan, that they’ll “Make Wiltshire Great Again,” when most of its residents would agree, it’s never not been great, just a little misguided since the Conservatives donned the captain’s cap twenty-six years ago.
And being most of the reject Musk androids called Reform councillors merely shifted their rosettes from indigo to sky blue to keep their jobs, perhaps what we need to allow this Lib Dem majority is a little bit of time to repair the damage, get a nice trim and organise themselves, before we burn down Bythesea Road’s Reichstag, arrest anyone opposing and remove their civil rights, huh?!
But what we must definitely do, is stop believing the media claptrap and propaganda; “Wiltshire Council in Turmoil,” you say? Go paint a roundabout. Like it ever wasn’t before?!
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