Hartlepool Borough Council could be set to lose three Conservative councillors, after election canvassing around Hartlepool shows the gains Tories made in the town some time ago has now all but been wiped out.
Sunday 26th Feb 2023 13:40pm
Hartlepool Borough Council could be set to lose at least three Conservative councillors in this year’s local elections set to be held in just nine weeks time, as public support for the group is “dropping like a stone off the Empire State Building” according to an insider.
From left to right Dennis Loynes (Victoria), Angela Falconer (Fens) & Kevin Tiplady (Foggy Furze) could all be set to lose their seats in Mays election according to a source.
Its leading to claims that the Conservative / Independent Coalition on Hartlepool Borough Council which is currently held together by a number of conservative leaning independents could collapse into chaos, leading to what could potentially be the return of the Labour Party clawing back control of the local borough council it lost some four years ago through the creation of its own coalition group.
The loss of three conservatives for the coalition group would put it perrilously close to collapse, with HBC likley to find council business would be "crippled" without a functioning majority group
Labours campaign for the May local elections began early this year with significant doorstep canvassing said to be bringing “encouraging” results on the streets despite what’s claimed to have been a rather “sluggish start” according to some labour campaigners you speak to.
Members of the public are also said to be seemingly “regretting” lending their votes to the Conservatives in the previous local elections which in turn have led to further devastating cuts to local council services….. as well as a controversial 'bin tax' being introduced & Council Tax increase for April 2023 set to plunge even more households into unprecedented levels of poverty.
A change in council though will not silence the thousands of locals calling on HBC to be stripped of its powers as a local council...
Councillors are reportedly purpousely "sidestepping" the matter of a public call of no confidence in HBC
A petition set up several weeks ago calling upon Hartlepool Borough Council to be declared an authority with no public confidence is also said to be pilling on the pressure on elected councillors to restore at least some faith back in the public minds of the local council being responsible enough that it shouldn’t be stripped of its statutory public responsibilities, with claims campaigners who set up the petition are now within spitting distance of their target of 3000 signatures which would require the matter to be discussed at open council at a full meeting, which in turn could spark the first local referendum on the abolition of a local authority since the dissolution of Cleveland County Council back in 1996.
Some hard core conservatives have already claimed "The writings on the wall for the Conservatives in Hartlepool"...
Some locals say they will "punish" the Conservatives in Hartlepool at the ballot box like they did to Labour, with many claiming they only wish they could use their vote to remove its Conservative MP along with it.
In terms of the May elections though its claimed by sources for the Hartlepool Labour Group that they will be continuing their campaign on the streets, something the public are reportedly said to be “pleased” with, however behind the scenes in the Conservative Group….. all is reportedly “not so well”, as party sources tell Hartlepool Matters some hard core Tory members have now already accepted that councillors set to defend their seats (all bar one in Rural West) could potentially be set to see their seats lost to the Labour Party, as Hartlepool residents now 'see red', over the decision by the conservatives to strip away yet more council services, whilst allowing the councils senior management to rake in significant pay increases & the public reportedly very much getting ready to punish the Conservatives much like they did to the Labour Party at the ballot box come the day Hartlepool locals are set to go to the polls.......
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