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Post by timrollpickering on Jun 10, 2022 18:08:29 GMT
Does anyone know if the "Conservative Residents" who appear in some wards in some of the elections in the period were anything more than a local alternative branding? Were Residents' Associations a significant factor in any of the pre London Borough councils there?
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Post by finsobruce on Jun 10, 2022 18:30:48 GMT
Does anyone know if the "Conservative Residents" who appear in some wards in some of the elections in the period were anything more than a local alternative branding? Were Residents' Associations a significant factor in any of the pre London Borough councils there? A cursory look would suggest that they were. I've found reference to the Thornton Heath Residents endorsing their sitting councillor (Cllr Herbert Kew) in 1958 and Bensham Manor ward Residents re-adopting Cllr Stuart Edwards in 1958.
At a meeting in 1955 a Mr Bond had voiced the opinion that although the Thornton Heath residents "were a non political association, yet they were dominated by the Conservative party". Cllr Stewart took exception to the suggestion, but it does seem that there was a suspicion of favouritism shown towards Conservative members in the selection of council candidates.
Stop press: I've found a letter in the Croydon Times from 15th March 1957 from a Mr Douglas Nye addressing the "proposed tie up between the Ratepayers, Independents and Conservatives in the town". He decried the call for a merely anti Socialist statment "In my opinion what is needed is not a negative attitude but a straightforward pro Conservative approach". He goes on to wonder what would happen if the various parties cannot agree on joint candidates "will the fear of splitting the vote ensure a continuation of the Ratepayers domination of the council?"
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Post by johnloony on Jun 11, 2022 14:19:46 GMT
I’m not aware of there having been “Conservative Residents” candidates. In several wards there were “Ratepayers’ [and/or] Residents’ Association” candidates who were the main non-Labour candidates. They would have been the de-facto option for Conservative voters to vote for before there were explicitly Conservative candidates.
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