A piece for this week's Ely Standard: "As the Independent, I expect to come first or second"

My friends at the Ely Standard have asked for a short piece for this week's paper, to be published tomorrow (Thursday). My readers are receiving an advance copy on this blog. It reads as follows:

"As the Independent, I expect to come first or second. This expectation is based on the results of canvassing and meetings and the reactions of people to that canvassing and at those meetings. People are disillusioned and distrustful of all party politicians. The people feel let down. The people are also worried about the economy; immigration; the dreadful death toll of 'our boys' in Afghanistan (now 284, for what?); the future of our food-producing Cambridgeshire Fens; and the Conservatives' plan to repeal the Hunting Act 2004. Repeal will bring back so-called 'sports' as hare coursing: over my dead body, I say."

To illustrate just some of the points made above, here are a few pictures, all taken in England, some taken by Sue or I.

Here is the little Wiltshire town of Wootton Bassett, paying homage and respect to more of our British dead. The clock ticks on. How much longer is the slaughter to continue?

Here is an imitable English scene. The picture is of the Dog & Duck pub at Linton, in South East Cambridgeshire.

Here is a less-expected English scene. It is not in South East Cambridgeshire. It is in Luton, Bedfordshire, home of 'The Hatters' and a town once-famous for straw hat making.

Here is a scene in the ruined area of Lode Fen, which is in South East Cambridgeshire.



Here is a ghastly scene. It illustrates the so-called 'sport' of hare coursing, the legal return of which the Conservatives are planning and plotting for. Remember, this is England, a supposedly civilised country.
 

And here is our Parliament that also commanded respect and is now the seat of disillusionment and distrust. We need change. All of the politicians say so. I agree. But do we believe that the politicians from the so-called 'major' political parties have the guts to make the needed changes? 

There is now only one more day until Independent's Day here in South East Cambridgeshire. The most will be made of it.

The Geoffrey Woollard Independent campaigns will today be visiting Aldreth, Balsham, Bartlow, Barway, Bottisham, Burwell, Chittering, Clayhithe, Ely, Fen Ditton, Fordham, Fulbourn, Great Wilbraham, Haddenham, Hildersham, Horningsea, Horseheath, Landbeach, Linton, Little Thetford, Little Wilbraham, Lode and Longmeadow, Newmarket, Reach, Six Mile Bottom, Soham, Stretham, Stow cum Quy, Stuntney, Swaffham Bulbeck, Swaffham Prior, Upware, Waterbeach, West Wickham, West Wratting, Weston Colville, Wicken and Wilburton. Look out for us if you live here.