On lying politicians

 Boris Johnson lied to parliament.  He lied to the Queen.  He was fired from his job for fabricating a quote in a newspaper.  We all know that.

Labour pop up before the local elections and point to Conservatives broken promises.

But are Labour any better?  I have only lived in Burnt Oak for 4 years now and I am shocked at the dodgy graphs and false promises of change that their candidate has pushed through my door since he was selected.  Do they think we're all stupid?  Really?  I challenged him on the graph, claiming that the next election will be close in Burnt Oak, and that voting green or libdem may lead to Conservative councillors; and he said that Boris Johnson is unlikely to go, due to Ukraine.  I texted him on whatsapp to point out this repeated deliberate lie, with no response so far.  They are using this as a stepping stone for the Labour Party to unseat Matthew Offord MP at the next General Election as well as the other 2 Barnet MPs.

But the local picture is important too.  The truth is however we vote in Burnt Oak ward we will not change who controls the council, even after the boundary changes that take in the bit of Mill Hill up to Bunns Lane, the area near the Meads, and Edgware Primary School and get rid of the bit south of Montrose and Blundell Roads.

Is there no way to hold our Councillors who will go on to rule Barnet Council, to account?  I invited the candidate to the Environment Hustings with no response.  I did not see them take part; just saw one Councillor at JCoSS and Edgware United Synagogue but they didn't ask any questions and didn't stop very long to chat.   We've had community meetings like the sustainability consultation that I attended, or the leader's question time, which Councillors say they were banned from.  Not one Jewish hustings focussed on Burnt Oak because it's not local to where they were held.

The literature Labour are creating doesn't clearly show an understanding of what powers and competencies local government has or national and regional government.  Many people do not understand what a ward is.  Some can not name their councillors.

Too many have become sick and tired of Labour's games and refuse to vote for a party that just lies to them (about who is likely to win in Burnt Oak) and doesn't deal with the issues.

People say that they don't want to live in this country anymore, that they can't be proud any more to be English (Look - I don't agree with him) because mainly that social media has divided our community.  People are rightly fed up with mainstream political parties and mainstream media (Since 9/11 - again I don't agree with him).  People say that they haven't received any leaflets from the Conservatives only Labour.  People say that the Labour leaflets go straight in the bin and they don't even notice them.  People are in grief.  People have to work and don't have time to think about politics.  People assume that Labour and local politicians are just there to get their votes and will say anything to get the job of councillor - and then totally fail to be community leaders.  People say that the government and council are fraudsters and that Trump should be locked up for his crimes.  And after Capita, who is to say that Capita still don't control key functions which govern our local area?

I know from this campaign that they will win based on these lies and by alienating their own electorate; just as they lost the last general election, with an insurgent centrist authoritarian faction.  It will come back to bite them, the distrust they are sowing.  That is a great shame.

Burnt Oak residents say that's how it always is, politicians are going to do what liars do.  I believe politics can be better than that.  That it can serve our community.  The first step is for their election agent over in East Finchley whoever he is to apologise for lying and pledge a clean campaign that does not lie, or spread fear among those vulnerable to their message.  Burnt Oak residents are mostly not engaged in politics, but they know that whoever they ask, rubbish continues to be dumped, mature trees are not well maintained near their gutters and lawns, and the area is in managed decline.  Our neighbourhood is being run down.

These lies will not work any more, it's incredibly short term and out of date thinking.  Nowadays people have access to the internet, and can look up basic information like, who are my councillors, how can I write to them, do they hold surgeries?  People can see the track record and the fact that most people in the area don't vote in these elections.

Burnt Oak is a working class area or mixed area.  It has voted returned Labour Councillors x3 my whole life and probably yours too.

This Thursday, there is no risk of the Conservatives winning here.  So you can vote with your conscience.  Or like many: you can stay away from this toxic tangled culture built on lies, and put the leaflets in the recycling bin along with the rest of the junk mail where they belong.

I say this not promoting any candidate, but as a neighbour - who is concerned about what is being done to us by the Labour Party.  I just want to correct the misinformation and encourage them to tell us what they have been doing the last 4-8 years to serve their corner of Barnet.