Polling Day: Thursday 3 May 2007 7am to 10pm To find out who is standing as an independent in your Ward for East Herts Council Click Here This is not a referendum on Blair or Cameron, but on the performance of the Political Leadership at East Herts Council. The Lib-Dems believe the money wasted in the last six years is around £4.5m, but what we do know is that the Reserves have dropped by £3m. In the last four years the Leader and Cabinet (six or seven elected Councillors) have taken allowances of £548,344.33 plus expenses (information given to the Mercury by EHC).

Please VOTE at this Important election! We have used the acronym VOTE to summarise our campaign, and this is a more robust version of what we have printed in our Leaflets that are now being delivered: Value for Money – Pensioners are rightly appalled at the constant above-inflation rises in Council Tax. It is true that much of this is imposed by Central Government, but there is no need to brass-plate all the edicts coming from Whitehall.  As Independents we will ask first: “What is best for East Herts?” and then will decide how best to respond to Central Government.   Openness  – It should not be necessary for the Mercury to spend £30,000 of its own money at the High Court to obtain information for the voters.  As Independents we want to see all debates and decisions made in public, not behind closed doors. We want no more spin, no more cover-ups, and more explanations for controversial decisions.  (Daniel Finkelstein in The Times on 4 April 2007: “In an era where politicians lack credibility, why not try something unthinkable? Why not try the whole truth? Why not try saying that a new policy has a cost, that a fresh law may not work, that a reform has some risks? Why not share all the advice, the upside and the downside? Hard-bitten pols may think me naïve. But if they think it works carrying on as they are, then it’s not me that is the naïve one.”) Trust  – You need to know that your Councillors work for you, not for some political party hierarchy with their own agenda. As Independents, we believe that East Herts District Councillors are here to serve the Town and Parish Councillors of East Herts, who are the front line of democracy. We want to see Town and Parish Councils making the straightforward Planning Application decisions, and we want them to have access to more funds for local projects. We want the Leader and Cabinet of East Herts Council to serve the Ward Councillors, not marginalise them. We want to see all Councillors, District, Town and Parish, receive modest allowances for expenses, and to see an end to semi-professional paid party politicians at local level. Efficiency – This election is a referendum on the poorly thought-out schemes and changes of an administration that had 41 out of 50 seats and was elected for supposed economic competence.  The network of Independents we belong to includes two qualified accountants and four experienced business leaders and managers. We want to see the long demanded fortnightly Issues Tracker implemented, and more Councillors trained in-house to understand local authority finance so there can be more effective scrutiny of decisions. Posted By Jim Thornton of 2 Castle Gate, Hertford, SG14 1HD and Promoted by and on behalf of East Herts People and Independent Candidates of 2 Castle Gate, Hertford, Herts, SG14 1HD