As regular readers of this column will know I was warning about the loss of confidence residents had in the democratic process long before the astounding results of the May 2 elections.

My point was that in 20 years of observing and commenting on local politics I had never witnessed so many angry and disillusioned voters.

All of this was, of course, dismissed out of hand by politicians who took the electorate for granted.

After decades of political dominance regardless of their performance the Tories believed that while their followers might complain they would fall back into line come the election.

Well we now know how that ended.

Residents who had been criticised for not getting involved in the political process turned out in huge numbers at every public meeting to voice their opinion on the destruction of open spaces and the desecration of the greenbelt.

Residents who had never previously attended any kind of political meeting turned up only to find that when decisions were made behind closed doors their opinions counted for nothing.

This time however voters would have their say and on May 2 they rejected the status quo and voted for change.

So what fuelled the anger felt by so many residents to the established order?

Clearly people felt betrayed by their own representatives who publicly shared their opinions only to go away and vote against them.

The claim made that Cheshire was in dire need of affordable homes turned out to be nothing more than a tactic used to soften public resistance.

The proof of this is clearly visible in the current proposition by Seddon Construction to build 74 homes near Middlewich providing just eight affordable homes to which Cllr David Nixon, chairman of Moston Parish Council, said: “The failure to meet the council’s own target of 30 per cent affordable housing cannot be justified.”

Cllr Ashley Farrell, Labour, added: “It just looks to me like this is some executive housing scheme just built for pure profit and not for the housing needs of the area.”

And there you have it.

For most of those families desperate to get a foot on the housing ladder this massive push to build anywhere and everywhere will mean nothing.

Those who benefitted substantially will be long gone by the time the next election comes around.

In the process communities were ignored, voters were shafted, our dwindling wildlife lost habitats and for what?

We are at a crossroads: either the established parties start representing their voters or find themselves replaced by younger, more vibrant parties with the will and the courage to fight for residents.

 

Email vicbarlow@icloud.com