LETTER: Labour hopes for ‘shock results’

In last week’s County Times, for example, you provided UKIP, a political party which has no elected representatives on the district council, with more than half a page in which to promote themselves (‘UKIP hoping for shock results in district elections’, WSCT March 19th 2015). Thus providing them with a perfect platform from which to launch their local election campaign.

Horsham Labour Party requests the same opportunity to promote ourselves, as we too are hoping for ‘shock results’ in the district election.

We are the only left of centre party regularly campaigning in Horsham. We have campaigned tirelessly for the council to deliver far greater numbers of affordable housing, long before it became fashionable for other parties to pay lip service to this campaign.

We are currently the only party to campaign against cuts to our vital public services. We have already collected hundreds of signatures as part of our campaign against the potentially dangerous cuts to Horsham Fire and Rescue Services.

Finally, we are the only party to stand up for a new home for Horsham Football Club. Any newly elected Labour councillors would support an appeal against the decision made by Lib Dem and Tory councillors to reject the club’s Hop Oast application.

The County Times has a long tradition of fair play but we would like to remind your editorial team that there are a number of choices available to the electorate in the forthcoming elections. We would welcome the opportunity to inform your readers about our campaign and hope you will provide us with the same platform that you have provided UKIP.

DAVID HIDE

Chair, Horsham Labour Party, Clarence Road, Horsham

Editor’s note: all material and letters received by the County Times from Horsham Labour Party and its parliamentary candidate have been published. The UKIP article, in the Politics section of the County Times, is one of a series profiling candidates and their policies. The Labour Party has been invited to co-operate in a similar profile. To date, members and candidates representing the Labour Party in Horsham have declined to sign the County Times Free Speech Charter.