12:10pm Thursday 18th March 2010
By Michael Pickard
Political sparring ahead of the General Election gathered pace this week after Watford was the subject of a BBC Radio 4 programme.
In a focus on marginal seats, Shaun Ley, who presents The World This Weekend, visited the town to speak to voters and the representatives of the three main parties.
And Labour MP Claire Ward has come under fire from Liberal Democrat Mayor Dorothy Thornhill after listeners were told she believes the unsuccessful plan to move market traders outside last year will impact on the election result.
Ms Ward said: “At the last General Election, people knew that the Labour government was probably going to remain but they could afford to have a good protest vote. And I think in a seat like this, they voted for Liberal Democrats in greater numbers.
“This time people know that it's either going to be a Labour government or a Conservative government.”
However, the Mayor has described her comments as “desperate electioneering”.
Mayor Thornhill said: “That the MP for Watford continues to perpetuate the myth that our market is moving outdoors, when she knows full well we have agreed to keep it indoors, shows just how desperate she is.
“She’s deliberately stirring up emotions for nothing more than political gain. It is extremely disappointing behaviour from an experienced MP – has she not got better causes to champion than one that I resolved many months ago? Her refusal to let go and concede defeat shows just how out of touch she is.”
Ms Ward said today (Thursday), however, that if it was the Mayor's intention to take the market of the election agenda, it wasn't hers.
The Justice Minister said: “The simple reality is that because of her and the council's dithering, the market has declined significantly over recent months because the council has not given a clear indication of what's happening. She might want to think it's all over but it isn't.”
The BBC programme, broadcast on Sunday, also heard from Sal Brinton and Richard Harrington, the respective Liberal Democrat and Conservative prospective parliamentary candidates for Watford, following a hustings debate held at Watford Grammar School for Boys last Friday.
Many of the students at the school, in Rickmansworth Road, will be voting for the first time this spring.
Mr Harrington said: “This is an election about who should be in number 10 Downing Street. The only two possibilities are Gordon Brown or David Cameron and I think the electorate realise this, that this is not about the local services which the Liberal Democrats took over from Labour in Watford for the last few years in a position when the Conservatives were not very active and were not even fighting most of these seats.
“We now have a position where a national swing towards the Conservatives is very significant and where we have rejuvenated our association and our volunteer base in Watford so I think it's very different.”
Ms Brinton, however, dismissed suggestions the election would be a two horse race.
She said: “The position may look like that on paper but the actual position in Watford is very different.
“We have got 40 councillors, we have the Liberal Democrat elected mayor who was re-elected with a sub majority last time [which] means we're the party in dominance. The Conservative party now only have four councillors and I think the result last time [in 2005] doesn't declare what's happening on the ground.”
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