Comments on: Dartford

By: RodCrosby

RodCrosby — Sun, 14 Mar 2010 12:01:45 +0000

Here’s an opportunity to “declare” this seat, and contribute to the overall prediction for 2010

http://hungparliament2010.blogspot.com/2010/01/i-undermentioned-hereby-give-notice.html

By: Frederic Stansfield

Frederic Stansfield — Tue, 02 Mar 2010 19:22:12 +0000

The swing back to Labour would have to go considerably further for Labour to save this seat.

Particularly as local issues are against Labour. For instance, a recent Network Rail review could find no sensible way of alleviating rail undercapacity in Kent, beyond extending the Crossrail scheme to Ebbsfleet, but I believe that Labour proposes to concentrate railway investment on the North. (To declare an interest In relation to this, incidentally, I have had a letter published in “Kent on Sunday” suggesting that the County Council’s hopes for an additional Dartford Crossing should include an additional railway crossing which would, amongst other things, open up possiblities for more commuter trains from North Kent across the Essex marshes into London, presumably alongside the new high-speed line.)

By: Rob

Rob — Tue, 02 Mar 2010 10:45:22 +0000

John Adams has been campaigning in some areas of Dartford and first signs are that he intends to campaign very negatively. Personally I find this rather odd for a party who has held a seat for as long as Labour have held Dartford but if that’s how he wants to play it then fair enough

I did send him a few emails asking him about his campaign but he declined to answer them. Bit rude in my opinion and hardly gives the impression that he will be particularly helpful or accessible if he gets elected here.

By: Rosie Maddison

Rosie Maddison — Wed, 17 Feb 2010 09:29:11 +0000

Harold Mole, I think you’ve nailed it here – the Lib Dems can say what they want as they’ve got no hope in this seat and even less chance of being in the position of having to make a decision.

James Willis is a nice guy, naive but a thoroughly decent man who’s probably just serving his time in 2010 with the hope of climbing the greasy Lib Dem pole in future elections.

At least James is local(ish) like all the Dartford PPCs bar one!!

By: Rosie Maddison

Rosie Maddison — Mon, 15 Feb 2010 14:15:52 +0000

I’m assuming that Tony Kite doesn’t know about John Adams, but it is the same one who stood before, unsuccessfully . He’s still “planning to move into the constituency shortly” only two and a half months since his selection and less than three months til the election.

I didn’t know that the housing market in Dartford was that busy, but if it helps I have a shed that I could make available!!

By: Harold Mole

Harold Mole — Mon, 15 Feb 2010 11:52:50 +0000

Alex H, yes the Liberal Democrat candidate does appear to be campaigning on the Darttford crossing but other local PPC from other parties have campaigned on this issue in the past and there is little point in doing so.

Its generally accepted that the continued use of the tolls is a disgrace, and plans to sell them off are even worse but as no party has promised to abandon the plans as part of a national manifesto then there is little any PPC can do in the way of promising to do anything about it!

By: Alex H

Alex H — Thu, 11 Feb 2010 11:10:38 +0000

The abondend town centre is definaley an issue here also the town is mad at the Dartford crossing toll still being charged, and now outrageous plans to privatise it. I am an ex Tory an am ashamed at the mess this town is now in .

I am pleased the new Liberal Canididate has just launched a campaign to stop this stupid sell off.
lets hope other join togther to make this an election issue.

By: LBernard

LBernard — Tue, 02 Feb 2010 16:56:55 +0000

The decline of Dartford Town centre is more due to the arrival of Bluewater and Lakeside across the river as mentioned rather than due to Conservative councillors. This decline would have been obvious when plans to build Bluewater were shown early on. It is also worth noting that Labour were the decision makers here for a substantial amount of time and should have had a plan in place which would allow Dartford to not lose its appeal with shoppers (e.g attract more specialist shops, independent boutiques, craft shops etc…shops which people would travel to rather than charity shops and £1 shops, which generally put people off shopping in particular areas) and potential new residents.

This is a similar issue over the river in Thurrock where Grays Town centre has declined since the arrival of Lakeside in the early 1990s again under Labour governance I think.

By: Rosie Maddison

Rosie Maddison — Wed, 16 Dec 2009 17:52:48 +0000

Scott, interesting choice of candidate if it’s the same fellow, he’s previously stood against Eric Pickles and Damian Green. I would imagine that both those times he was a paper candidate, what does this say about Labour’s hopes of winning Dartford? Was a previous poster correct with the idea that Labour’s majority being less than 3,000 is undefendable?

The road through the park fox has been shot, particularly as the local Labour Group and MP are all signed up members of the current redevelopment plan so can’t use that one now.

Maybe Tony Kite could answer.

By: Scott Truss

Scott Truss — Tue, 15 Dec 2009 11:07:57 +0000

Rosie, there is a John Adams who has stood as a Labour candidate in various places over the last few elections. Not sure if its the same fella though – its not an uncommon name.

Certainly doesn’t seem like a local member as I can’t see any sign of anyone by that name having stood for Labour in Dartford at any level.
So that’s both the ‘local’ angle and the Dartford park angle that Dartford Labour can’t use anymore, both of which have served them well in the past.

I wonder what they will be campaigning on this time.