Policy, PR or the Person, which gets your vote?

With all the political parties cranking their election machinery into motion, it is interesting to look at the subtleties in the various campaigns and then consider what following a particular political flag will give you the voter in Sutton Central.

The Conservatives were quick off the mark on Social Media with the inevitable photo of their canvassers out and about:

And it was interesting to see in the comments about the photo, people saying “Vote Reform” – I think everyone is aware that there are two Members of Parliament making the wrong headlines at present – one from Reform and one from Labour. It is a useful reminder that it is not the party but the person who represents the voter – so important locally.

But you need to watch out for the use of PR to disguise the lack of policy – go back to Facebook and you will have seen your Liberal Democrat MP (and still local Councillor) Bobby Dean promoting a survey:

He’ll get a lot of good advice from the two fellow Councillors he is surveying in the photo! It is party PR pure and simple.

If you want a person who will actually fight for the residents and not follow party diktats, just vote for Pam Marsh – positive independent and caring:

And if you wanted to know why that is important – we mentioned the “Croydonisation” of Sutton in our last post – 1,000 + flats on the B&Q site – well just over the railway line at Quadrant House they are planning partial demolition and erection of an additional two and three stories to existing building, a part 14, part 23 storey extension and extension of existing basement to provide a mixed use development comprising 312 self contained residential units and 195 co-living units .

If you want to ask why or comment it is application DM2025/00226 on the planning portal and while it is across the ward boundary in Sutton South, it looks like you should book your GP appointment for 2027 now!