Two distinct meanings (From Western Telegraph)

Two distinct meanings

12:33pm Wednesday 20th March 2013 in Letters

I NOTICE there are two independent candidates standing in the forthcoming Burton by-election.

As your readers will know, ‘independent’ has two distinct meanings in Pembrokeshire.

First, there is that found in the dictionary: “Not aligned with, or loyal to, any political party or organsation”.

Then there is the polar opposite which involves membership of the Independent Plus Political Group (IPPG) which your newspaper once described as the oxymoron party.

This organisation differs from the official political parties in three important respects: It is not registered with the Electoral Commission; It makes every effort to conceal its existence from the electorate; and it doesn’t publish a manifesto at election times.

Though it does resemble a political party in that it has secret group gatherings prior to all meetings of full council and, despite protestations to the contrary, it always votes as a block.

It seems to me that voters have the democratic right to know into which of these categories the two independent candidates fall.

MIKE STODDART

Liddeston

Milford Haven