Southampton/Eastleigh merger still possible

Even after the overwhelming response to the Conservatives campaign to preserve the independence of Eastleigh Borough a merger is still possible.

Eastleigh’s Conservative leader Godfrey Olson put before the council a motion seeking to maintain Eastleigh’s independence. This motion was overwhelmingly defeated by the Liberal Democrats.

At a recent Council meeting Lib Dems stated that they wanted the borough to be part of an enlarged Southampton City region and were prepared to build a further 6000 houses in Eastleigh for Southampton workers..

Velmore Bungalows: Age Concern Report slates Atlantic Housing Association

The Age concern report on Atlantic Housing’s treatment of Velmore Residents states that ‘the whole process of consultation has been handled without compassion’ in a ‘total, matter of fact, faceless and uncaring way.’
In a meeting of the Local Area Committee on May 15th attended by about 80 angry local residents speaker after speaker called for Atlantic Housing to withdraw the plans or the Lib Dem and Labour councillors to throw them out. Sadly all the Councillors did was to postpone further consideration until June. Elderly residents must go on waiting anxiously.

A Simple Quiz by Chris Rhodes

Q. Who determines housing policy? A. The Government.
Q. Who determines where the houses have to be built? A. The Unelected Regional Assembles.
Q. Who are told by the Regional Assemblies where to build? A. County Councils and Unitary authorities.
Q. Who runs Hampshire County Council? A. Conservatives
Q. Who blames the County Council for building quotas? A. Liberal Democrats
Q. Who loves Regional Assemblies? A. Liberal Democrats
Q. Who would abolish Regional Assemblies? A. Conservatives.
Q. Who sanctions planning applications in Eastleigh? A. Liberal Democrats
Q. Who blames the County Council for overdevelopment? A. Liberal Democrats
Q. Who is lying? A. Who do you think!

Eastleigh's Spitfire roundabout. A marvellous picture by Matthew S Myatt

I met Matthew earlier this week and he kindly offered me this marvellous picture of the spitfire. Matthew is a very gifted local photographer who can be contacted on www.adhdsupport.info

News of the election

A big thank you to all 525 of you who voted Conservative in Eastleigh South last Thursday. We managed to increase the number of votes cast for Conservatives by an amazing 76% (from 298 to 525). The events of the count were very exciting, with first Liberal Democrats thinking they had won by 15 votes, only for 20 votes for Labour to be found in the recount. Another spoilt Lib Dem ballot paper meant that eventually Labour won the seat by 6 votes. The actual figures were UKIP 180, Lib Dem 766, Lab 772, Con 525. Despite the tremendous successes nationally for Conservatives, it was a bad night for Conservatives, Labour, and the people of Eastleigh. The Lib Dems gained both Conservative seats and one of the two Labour seats. Only you, the Conservatives of South Eastleigh (many of whom had previously voted Lib Dem) stopped them making a clean sweep and sending a man from Hiltingbury to the Council as our representative.

The electorate has been conned
The Lib Dem newsletters were full of misinformation and spin and seem to have conned thousands of people into voting for them. Senior members of the party say they have never experienced such a filthy campaign by one party and a legal team is examining a number of their publications and certain voting irregularities.
One of the Lib Dem newsletters published in Eastleigh South has already been denounced by the Velmore Residents Association as "a complete lie."
The Lib Dems have been forced to apologise to the Eastleigh News Extra for producing a publication of the same name.

Lib Dem lies
One of the lies told by Lib Dems is that "an Eastleigh Conservative has launched a website campaigning AGAINST Eastleigh's planned cinema and leisure complex - SPOILTSPORT". We believe that they are referring to this site. The site was launched last November. The only mention of the cinema on this blog, before today, was the entry on April 11 which included a map of the town and an arrow showing
“New Cinema Complex – more traffic movements & parking problems”.
Hardly a website campaigning against the cinema! Incidentally, in an autumn 2006 newsletter the Lib Dems stated that work is not starting on the site until "after Christmas so there is no disruption in the town centre over the busy shopping period." Some of us have been waiting for this cinema for 8 years. Which Christmas are they referring to?

The Conservative Party
Tonight the Conservative team from Eastleigh South is having a party. We believe in celebrating success and rewarding our hard working activists. Next Wednesday evening (9th May) we begin to plan for the next 12 months. If you appreciate what we are trying to do for Eastleigh and want to help us move forward, please do get in touch. We would be delighted to send you membership details.