Taxi Driver Online

Wisbech taxi chief Dave Patrick to stand for vacant Fenland Council seat as Lib Dem


WISBECH taxi drivers' leader Dave Patrick will be out to prove that if you can't beat them, join them as he sets out to become a district councillor.

"For too long the views of Wisbech residents have been ignored," he said' "The town needs someone to stand up for us, and Fenland District Council needs some opposition."

Mr Patrick has put himself forward as a Liberal Democrat candidate in next month's by election for the town, district council and county council seat.

Mr Patrick, who last week called the council's licensing committee "a kangaroo court," is standing for the vacant Kirkgate ward.

"I want to provide the people of Wisbech with an effective voice - at town, district and county level," he said.

"The town council fully supported us staying on the Horsefair. The committee simply hasn't listened to the people of Wisbech and councillors have ignored the views of their electorate."

Meanwhile he continues to lobby against the planned Horsefair taxi rank closure and is helping to co-ordinate a mass rally in Wisbech next Wednesday morning.

Drivers will hand over a 4,000 signature petition to Fenland District Council, calling for the decision to be overturned.

Fenland District Council licensing committed narrowly voted to remove all taxis from the Horsefair.

"Three councillors who may have supported us were unable to attend the meeting, if they had been present, there would have been a different outcome," said Mr Patrick.

This week Mr Patrick met Fenland Council Leader Councillor Alan Melton, asking for the decision to be reconsidered.

The Kirkgate vacancy arose following the death of Councillor Les Sims who was returned unopposed to the district council in 2007 and in 2009 he polled nearly four times more votes than the Lib Dem candidate Diane Baldry in the county election.

Peter Roberts, Labour's spokesman, criticised the calling of an election, so close to the date of an expected general election.

"The party that called this by-election so close to the General Election should hang its head in shame," he said. "It has cost the taxpayers' in Fenland an additional £6,500 in costs," he claimed.

"This is a classic example of playing politics with other people's money."

A council spokesman confirmed that members of the electorate called for an election, by letter on February 26.

"Once that happens, an election must be held within 35 days, so we could not wait until the projected General Election date of May 6," he added.


source: http://www.wisbech-standard.co.uk/content/wisbech/news/

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Think of how stupid the average person is, and realize half of them are stupider than that.
George Carlin

C.A.B.B.I.E...E.L.E.C.T.E.D

Dave Patrick stuns Tories and wins Wisbech seat on Fenland District Council for Lib Dems

09:08 - 16 April 2010

Liberal Democrat Dave Patrick last night stunned the Conservatives by winning the vacant seats on Fenland District and Wisbech Town Councils.

Mr Patrick, chairman of the Wisbech and District Hackney Carriage Drivers Association, earned more than 50 per cent of the votes in both by elections for the vacant seat on the Kirkgate Ward.

He narrowly missed out on all three seats on offer, losing the Cambridgeshire County Council by election for the Wisbech North Division by Conservative candidate Samantha Hoy.

All three by elections were held following the death of long serving councillor Les Sims in January.

In the district council by election, Mr Patrick polled almost twice the number of votes of Conservative candidate and county councillor Steve Tierney.

Mr Patrick’s 287 votes was a 51 per cent share of the 560 votes cast. Cllr Tierney polled 145 votes, a 26 per cent share.

Labour candidate Barry Diggle was a distant third with 74 votes, a 13 per cent share of the vote, and UKIP candidate Paul Clapp was fourth with 54 per cent, a 10 per cent share of the vote.

In the town council by election, Mr Patrick polled 283 votes – 50 per cent of the votes.

Conservative candidate Stephen Brunton was a distant second with 137 votes and Mr Diggle, again standing for Labour, polled 79 votes.

UKIP candidate Alan Lay was fourth with 55 votes, and Independent candidate Lloyd Forster polled just nine votes.

In the county council by election Tory candidate Samantha Hoy polled 548 votes, narrowly beating Mr Patrick who polled 506 votes.

Labour was again a distant third, with Mr Diggle polling 287 votes. Mr Clapp, representing UKIP, came fourth with 233 votes.

Turnout for the district council was 31.1 per cent, and for the town council seat 31.2 per cent.

The turnout for the county council by election was 21.1 per cent. A county council spokesman said there were a total of 1,581 votes. There were seven rejected ballot papers.

Source; cambstimes.co.uk


AND


Fenland's new Lib Dem councillor: "The people of Wisbech have spoken - now it's time to listen"

12:55 - 16 April 2010

Fenland's newly-elected Liberal Democrat councillor said his comprehensive victory in yesterday's by election in Wisbech means that "the people of Wisbech have spoken - and now it's time to listen".

Today Dave Patrick, chairman of Wisbech and District Hackney Carriage Drivers Association, also offered his sincere thanks for voters' support.

He polled almost twice as many votes as Conservative candidate and Cambridgeshire county councillor Steve Tierney in the by election for the Kirkgate Ward on Fenland District Council.

Cllr Patrick was also elected to Wisbech Town Council and polled more votes than his four candidates combined.

Cllr Patrick said: "To the residents of Wisbech Kirkgate. May I express my sincere thanks for your support in the by election.

"As your elected councillor I will endeavour to do my best to represent your interests and concerns.

"It is my intention that you should find me an easy person to contact should you wish to speak to me on any matter and if I can help you will only be to happy to do so.

"My contact details are as follows: mobile 07771 573489. Email: patrickdavid432@aol.com.

"Again my sincerest thanks for all your support."

North East Cambs parliamentary candidate Lorna Spenceley added her congratulations to Cllr Patrick.

She said: “Dave is a hard worker, with his heart in Wisbech, and I know he will make an excellent representative for Kirkgate.

“Dave ran a clean campaign that concentrated on the issues, and I'm delighted that he's been rewarded with such a sensational win.

“In the crucial weeks leading up to the General Election, this shows that only the Liberal Democrats can seriously challenge the Conservatives in this constituency, while Labour support continues to crumble.”

Cllr Patrick is the first Liberal Democrat councillor on the Tory stronghold of Fenland District Council, which otherwise consists of 38 Conservatives and one independent.

Cllr Tierney was gracious in defeat and said of Cllr Patrick: "In both cases he won with a good majority and has a clear mandate from the electorate in regards to the issue which was at the centre of his campaign."

Cllr Patrick was beaten to the vacant Wisbech North Division seat on the county council by Conservative candidate Samantha Hoy.

However, he said: "To the people of Wisbech North may I also thank you for your support and although I did not get elected to County this time I am still there to support you if needed."

Cllr Tierney said: "Sam deserved her win, having worked incredibly hard for it and (in my opinion) being an excellent candidate for the post.

"I'd like to thank the people of Wisbech North who supported her and helped her to become (I believe) the youngest councillor at Shire Hall."

Cllr Tierney also said: "The election campaign was fought impeccably by gentlemen (and gentlewoman). It was a credit to local democracy.

"I'd like to offer my congratulations to both the winners. I am sure they will both serve the people of Wisbech North well.

Source; cambstimes.co.uk

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Kind regards,

Brummie Cabbie.

Type a message, post your news,
Disagree with other members' views;
But please, do have some decorum,
When debating on the TDO Forum.

Good result for Mr Patrick.......congrats.

CC

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Think of how stupid the average person is, and realize half of them are stupider than that.
George Carlin

I hope he gets on the licensing committee.

However, why did they have an election so soon to the General election? Have we now got bundles of money to duplicate elections.

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IDFIMH

I have become very involved in the general election with the SNP and i have enjoyed it
If have was seen to be worthy of standing as a councillor i would consider it as well as being the secretary of the Dundee Taxi Association.

I emailed the SNP regarding their policy on taxis about 2 weeks ago......they must be busy......at this moment they are in the box marked..."they dont give a sh*t"

CC

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Think of how stupid the average person is, and realize half of them are stupider than that.
George Carlin

CC after speaking with Bill of the STF i would have to agree with you he has said that they are not willing to look at the 1982 act at the moment
.What they did say was the act was not proposed by some one who had any idea about the taxi trade

As I think I said earlier on another thread, the only political party even considering taxis at the moment are the Welsh Nationalist mob.....to be honest I think they think we're sheep.....so admittedly, I'm a little apprehensive about pontificating their vote!

CC

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Think of how stupid the average person is, and realize half of them are stupider than that.
George Carlin

On a local level they are at least listening to our concerns.

On a personal level i am a proud scotsmans and i support the ABE campaign

if the SNP can run scotland, can the BNP run britain?....

Looks like the fella has had a good week.

http://www.wisbech-standard.co.uk/conte ... 3A21%3A843

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IDFIMH