It’s deja vu all over again in Folkestone & Hythe … 18 months after Toby Philpott resigned as prospective parliamentary candidate, his successor, Neil Matthews, has also quit:
Shepway Liberal Democrats are sorry to announce that Neil Matthews has stepped down as Parliamentary Candidate for Folkestone & Hythe due to personal pressures. Neil remains an active part of the Shepway Liberal Democrats and Liberal Democrat Councillor for Hythe West.
In a letter to Party members, Shepway Local Party Chair, Bev Rolfe, paid tribute to Neil’s work and said:
“I’m sorry to announced that the Lib Dem Prospective Parliamentary Candidate for Folkestone and Hythe, Councillor Neil Matthews, has found it necessary to step down for personal reasons. Although most unfortunate for Neil, he has assured me and the local party executive that he will continue as a District Councillor and an activist within our local party. The added pressure of standing for Parliament is something which, due to his current personal circumstances, he finds himself unable to fulfil.
“Neil’s contribution to the local party over the years, and recently, is very much appreciated. He is a much respected party member and a knowledgeable and hard working local Councillor and, indeed, is viewed with affection by all his colleagues. Neil works very hard for the party and, I have no doubt, will continue to do so.
“Naturally, we will be seeking another candidate as soon as possible. We will update you with more information on this as soon as we have it.
“If you have any queries please do not hesitate to contact me or one of the other officers whose names, e-mails and telephone numbers can be found on the Shepway Liberal Democrat web site at www.shepwaylibdems.org.uk“
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11 Comments
I have so much to say on this. There is an element of the “Curse of Gnome” here as Matthews knifed me in the back. Not satisfied with this the Shepway Lib Dems in connivance with the Regional Party then proceeded to try to have me thrown out of the party after the Regional Party whitewashed what had gone on in the subsequent regional investigation and I dared to speak out (very Liberal of them).
Am I right in thinking that there is likely to be a candidate imposed on the Local Party now? Please correct me if I am wrong. I am pretty sure that I know who that is going to be even though that individual has already divided the Council Group not once but TWICE in the past 6 years.
Shepway Lib Dems are a mess now and it is going to be very hard for the local party to get itself into a position to recover. This is bad for the area and the party nationally really does have to wake up and take some action to reduce the malign influence of a clique that has ruined the Shepway Lib Dems and reduced any chance of an effective opposition to the Tories on Shepway District Council who are making some dreadful decisions.
If the candidate selection/imposition is a “stitch up” then I put the Party on warning. You will be opposed.
Didn’t two Folkestone Lib Dem councillors resign and join the Conservative group? Didnt a neighbouring Kent Lib Dem Chairman not write to Cowley Street and ask for Folkestone’s in-fighting to be investigated – seems nobody could take this on, (who would want such a job). Folkestone and Hythe used to be on the winnable-seats list…remember all that talk of decapitations? Presumably the problems are beyond a regional-organiser to intervene.
So, what now?
What now? Only one thing for it… http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DDXZkBIxso4#t=0m40s
Leaving candidate selection to the local party hasnt done much good, so far…and it doesnt make much difference now who they pick. The outcome is a foregone conclusion.
To any outsider, it looks like years of solid work now being thrown away.
Hello Lib Dem members and people thrown out of the party (cough).
Neil Matthews as PPC led the local Lib Dems to a great local election victory, winning 5 seats (including a Kent County seat) off the Tories. This party is in a much better state than it was in May 2007
It’s interesting seeing the intensity of the responses here. The previous PPC really needs to look at how he comes across. I don’t think he comes across as mentally unstable, egotistical or unhinged. I will keep my opinion to myself. And if he thinks he will ‘oppose’ then he needs a membership card. Opps he lost lost that.
The Shepway (Folkestone & Hythe) Local Party has had a lot of bad luck but, as Sam rightly says, there have been some good successes recently.
I am sure it will be a Target Seat again as it has been previously.
There is a by-election in the constituency on 12 November (one of 3 in East Kent coming up) and I will be going to help on Saturday.
Anthony, thanks for coming down to help on Saturday, your help will be much appreciated. Its good to see others are looking forward rather than back.
I don’t think there is a great deal Fred Astaire can offer Shepway Lib Dem party they appear to have a death wish shedding PPCs and Councillors like fleas of a long dead dog. Our recent research shows there are Lib Dem and Conservative members who would change their vote if Toby Philpott stood as an independent.
It is easy to see why when you read the response from Sam Mathews a man who appears to understand little of wining friends and influencing people. To bad mouth someone is to question the people that like Philpott and who may have voted for you though will now vote for someone else. Well Done.
What have the Lib Dem party achieved in Shepway other than drive out members, alienate potential voters and increase the number of Conservative Councillors and given Folkestone & Hythe to Damian Collins on a platter. If I were a Conservative I would treat you all to a beer and a large thank you.
Collins contacted me this evening re my suggestion that he was assassinating the old guard, he said it was not necessary and though he never said the Shepway Lib Dem party were doing a better job than he could he must be thinking that.
Since 1968 I have voted for the Liberal Party and then Lib Dem over the past few years I have not bothered to vote, what have the Lib Dem party achieved in Shepway over the past ten years, to drive our democracy and permit an elected dictatorship. Not bad going for a party that was once in a position of strength.
For the first time in many years there was an opportunity to change the face of Shepway politics but what have Shepway Lib Dem party done, thrown out the baby and kept the dirty water. Perhaps it is time for all good men to come to the aid of the party and get rid of the inherent problems that have entrench themselves in Shepway Lib Dems.
“Richard” if that is your real name!? I suggest you gain some courage and reveal your real identity so there can be proper democratic debate. Which would go with the ideolgy your trying to put forward in your post. Or don’t reveal who you are and it will be clear that you are a creation of an obviously disgruntled ex-member’s mind. Your move. P.S I can’t be that bad at influencing people, have you won any elections recently? I have.
Sam, I see once again that you are resorting to personal abuse as usual. Thanks for the attempt to cast aspersions on my mental state in a manner which is not even remotely clever. I was not aware that you were a mental health professional. There are a number of consultants I work with on a daily basis here in Riyadh who are somewhat bemused by your comments. Calling into question the mental state of your opponents was one of the particularly unfortunate tactics of Communist regimes around the world.
Furthermore, the personal attack on Richard (who, by the way, is a member of the public and NOT “the creation of an obviously disgruntled ex-member’s mind”) is pretty poor. Your attitude towards those who do not hold your point of view is frankly worrying and I think your Dad would do you a favour by giving you a good talking to about it . Not for the first time you have behaved in an offensive manner towards those who do not agree with you.
Remember that your comments and abuse can be seen by members of the General Public and that those that put you in can just as easily put you out. You should also remember that you are expected as an elected representative to maintain certain standards of conduct.
General opinion is that you got in because the Tories made a hash over the Oliver issue and the locals in Hythe West wanted to punish them for taking them for granted. Carry on like this and people will be calling for you to step down as you will embarrass the Town Council, the people you should represent and yourself.
There are a number of facts that you may wish to conveniently ignore. FACT 1: I have never received any letter from Cowley Street advising me that I was expelled from the Party. If I had been expelled as you seem to suggest then this is news to me and suggests that due process has been abused (since I was therefore never offered the chance to appeal such a decision). Your suggestion is therefore potentially libellous. Please be so kind to share with me any correspondence you may have on this matter since I have been kept in the dark.
FACT 2: The Lib Dems lost control of Folkestone Town Council AFTER your Dad was selected and half of the District Council Group walked (although I don’t hold your Dad particularly culpable for that although his name was mentioned to me as part of the reasons for them deciding to leave) over a period of time or were kicked out because they didn’t “toe the line” and convenient excuses were made to punish them for their support of me (their words, not mine). Sue Ashworth (selected as a Lib Dem against some people’s better judgement who then went on to rejoin the Tories shortly after she got elected), Peter Gane (who was elected as Deputy Leader of the Lib Dem Group and then had to endure the antics of a certain Council Group Leader who didn’t get her way), Sue Wallace who was fed up with the way Peter was treated, Anthony Dunning who was also appalled at what had been going on and, of course Emily Sanger who was thrown out on the flimsy pretext of not paying her subs (despite being in financially straightened circumstances) and of course, got knifed as Deputy Mayor by the group (which led to Martin Salmon who had been a long standing Lib Dem member quitting the Town Council Group). Philip Young is particularly well informed.
To the best of my awareness the May 2007 position has not yet been recovered despite your Dad getting back on the district council. A number of long standing members have also left the party. Perhaps you don’t respect such commitment but then you probably have little recollection of what it was like when the merger was messed up and the Lib Dems were down at 5% in the national opinion polls at one point in the late 80s and early 90s. Some of us kept going despite people around us wondering if we shouldn’t just give up.
You might want to get out a bit more Sam and talk to more real people around Folkestone who don’t share your worldview. You never really showed me much courtesy and my observations of you suggest that you could be a bit more broadminded and realise that some people would like to have an MP that grew up in the constituency and has Folkestone in his or her blood. There are a number of people around the town who have known me from a very young age and they really did not like what went on at all. It sent a signal about what people though of locals and it hasn’t played well.
You can con yourself, and you may think you can con some of the people some of the time, but you can’t con all of the people all of the time. You might also like to learn a bit of humility. You are a Town Councillor but there are some people who are creating things in this world on such a scale and of an importance that you can barely imagine. They don’t go around blowing their own trumpets and are often not recognised for what they do. Get a sense of perspective Sam otherwise the voters might just decide one day to force it upon you.
You arrogant little twerp no wonder the party is failing in Shepway. You can find me any time you wish in Folkestone by asking your colleagues or many members of the public, I am certain they will point me out for the pleasure of seeing you humiliated.
As for winning an election your party has asked me on more than one occasion to stand for the District Council, I have refused on the advice that I am more effective outside politics. Tell me Mr Elected Councillor how many investment bankers have you brought to Shepway to create new businesses in the area. How many Hotel groups have you introduced to the area to build a 7,000-seater conference centre and hotels? How many transport companies have you introduced to open warehouses at the Lympne Industrial Estate or Japanese Motorcycle companies. Medical companies to help establish Penny Pot, provide funds to save the Channel Tunnel when it was in trouble during the early days, probably before you were born. Though not all the introductions were successful, at least they came and will remember Folkestone even if it was for a short trip in the Leas Lift.
Do you know I am getting so old I forgot to mention the number of foreign ambassadors that visited Shepway at my invitation to encourage their national businesses to invest in the area? Of course, you as an elected councillor have done much more. In 2005, I attracted over 2,500 visitors to Folkestone of which many have returned each year. I do not ask for recognition or reward and it has probably cost me several hundred thousand pounds that I shall never recover. On my travels, I have promoted Shepway to influential friends worldwide who have visited and still visit the town.
I have watched billions of pounds of investment run away from Shepway as the directors left because of the arrogant attitude of councillors such as you. More recently I have been asked to make introduction for a £500,000,000 project in Folkestone but have refused because of the arrogant attitude of the organisers who like you have achieved nothing but think they have the answers or revert to type.
No, I have never been elected to a town council though have toyed with the idea of starting a local political party to clear out the Shepway deadwood. Regrettably, those councillors that know me well think putting councillors on trial and shooting them for gross negligence and self-interest is going a little too far.
Where you get the idea that this is a debate I do not know, there is nothing to debate. You and your party have failed Shepway you should go, find some other towns and District to play your games.
Your arrogance shows a distinct lack of reality, what started out as an old and oft-repeated argument by Toby Philpott has now become something more and will be repeated on Face Book, Twitter, Stumbled Upon, and other social websites. Damian Collins is RTing this page, I imagine others will do the same, you have promoted Toby Philpott’s cause and may have given him encouragement to stand as an independent MP for Shepway, you have shown the quality of Lid/Dem councillor and promoted the Conservative, and even Labour cause in Shepway. You may have attracted a few voters but imagine you have lost more supporters than you have attracted.
Your response shows the lack of discipline and cohesion within the Shepway party and the problem you have engaging your brain before your mouth. If you wish to trade insults, please do you promote Toby and me for which I thank you?