Today Morcambe Bay, tomorrow East Devon – just vote Independent today!
“… The MBI (Morcambe Bay Independents) was formed in 1987 after a group of local residents were ignored by the town’s mainly Tory councillors when they asked to discuss a way forward for the resort following its steady decline since the 1970s.
After a few teething problems, the group went on to take control of Lancaster city council in 1995. They ran the council with a cabinet made up of MBIs, Conservatives, Greens and Liberal Democrats. Labour refused to take their cabinet seats.
New sea defences were built, the books were balanced and art installations were approved, including the Eric Morecambe statue. However, the party took a big hit in 2015 and lost control of the council.
The MBI leader, Geoff Knight, said: “Unfortunately our fortunes depend heavily on whether national or regional elections are taking place on the same day – as local elections are often overshadowed, severely affecting the independent vote. As a consequence we were reduced to two councillors in 2015.”
This time it has fielded 29 candidates in the Lancaster council election and another 25 for Morecambe town council. Its aim is to loosen the grip of the current Labour administration. Labour leads with 31 seats against an opposition of 29 councillors, made up of 17 Conservatives, eight Greens, two MBIs and two non-aligned independents.
A similar story is unfolding across the country, from Lincolnshire to Cheshire East, where unprecedented numbers of independent candidates are standing.
“Nationally, Morecambe Bay Independents are viewed as a model of how you can get into the council and make things happen. You get a lot more influence on the council,” Knight said.
“People have always belonged to a party – it’s very tribal. But a lot of time is taken up talking about issues which have nothing to do with Morecambe – it’s party politics. We have already shown what can be achieved when minority parties rule. During the four-year period we had control of the council, an awful lot was done. Politics was kept off the agenda.”
East Devon Watch 