Thursday 23rd March, 2023
Welcome to the Blue Rinse Bright Young Things of Sunny Colch. Plus the return of the odd Golden Oldie.
Colchester’s Conservatives are attempting to put a brave face on their disastrous election performance in 2022, as they announce their list of candidates for the upcoming local elections in May 2023.
It’s a notable omission to see ex-Council and Conservative Leader Paul Dundas missing from the list of runners and riders. The group is keen to emphasis in the local newspaper that they are “a long way from outdated stereotypes“.
Yeah, Bro.
According to the Conservatives, their members come from “all walks of life“, including a former ambulance volunteer, social housing expert, and even a carpenter.
But given their failure to hold on to key positions in Stanway and Castle, losing four seats in total and forfeiting the town hall to a Liberal Democrat, Labour, and Green coalition, it’s clear that they have a lot of work to do to convince voters that they are still a viable option.
Despite this, the group claims to have “sought to modernise“, bringing in younger recruits in an attempt to increase their relatability to a wider audience.
Among the new faces are Rowan Knight, a 25-year-old fighting for St Anne’s and John’s ward, and Phoebe Butcher, a 24-year-old Parliamentary caseworker vying for the Mile End seat.
Will Quince would just LOVE to have a backseat driver role at the Town Hall.
But it remains to be seen whether the Conservatives’ attempts at rebranding will be enough to sway voters. They may claim to be “passionate about the strength and value of communities.”
With the LibDems and Labour hot on their heels, the Conservatives will need to do more than just bring in a few fresh faces if they hope to turn their fortunes around.
The election by thirds system meant that the last Tory administration at the Town Hall barely had the chance to inspect the books, let alone put in place any policies.
They were kicked out by the electorate twelve months after taking back control (STOP IT) in May 2022.
Candidate Nomination Deadline is 4pm on Tuesday 4th April.
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