Independents Review Electoral Prospects
The newly formed Hastings Independents party – no connection with this newspaper, see below – held its first public meeting last Saturday at His Place in Robertson Street.
Cllr Andy Batsford at the Hastings Independents launch
Cllr Andy Batsford said that he was “very satisfied” with the turnout of around 30 people who attended to discuss the change in style of party politics heralded by him and his seven fellow councillors who resigned from the Labour party in December. “As the Hastings Independents movement grows,” he said, “one of the party’s key commitments is the belief in embracing all the talents this town has to offer, to help shape Hastings and work collaboratively to solve some of the key issues the town faces.”
The local election in May will be a limited testing ground for the political future of the party, since only one of the Independents – Cllr Maya Evans – will be putting themselves up for re-election: the others were elected in 2022 and have another two years’ tenure of their ward seats. Cllr Batsford made it clear on Saturday that they intend to put up fresh candidates in other seats with the aim of increasing their number, but given the resources required – not so much in monetary terms as in volunteer time and effort in distributing leaflets and knocking on doors – they will have to select prudently the wards that they choose to contest.
It will be interesting to see to what extent they decide to target sitting Conservatives or, on the other hand, seats currently retained by loyalist Labour councillors. Either way, they are likely to find themselves accused of splitting the anti-Tory vote, since there is clearly no prospect of the Labour party failing to field candidates in all 16 wards in a bid to re-assert its supremacy.
However, Cllr Batsford said that he feels a wind of change blowing in. “Of course we want the Tories out. But no-one has the right to be the sole opposition,” he argued.
Who’s Independent?
HIP maintains a strictly non-partisan stance in coverage of political issues between the loyalist Labour party and the Hastings Independents group – we are, and intend to remain, truly independent. We are concerned, however, that there may be actual or potential confusion in our readers’ minds as to a connection between us and the new political group, particularly following the latter’s decision to apply to the Electoral Commission to register themselves as the Hastings Independents Party (spot the acronym). We can disclose that we have written to the Commission making a formal objection to the registration on this ground.
As a separate issue, we wonder how acceptable it may be to the Commission to have the name of ‘Independents’ claimed for a particular party when there are no less than three other councillors on Hastings Borough Council –Sabina Arthur, Claire Carr and John Rankin – who are already styled as Independents on the council website without any intention to join it.
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