We have to decide how to vote in the GLA elections on Thursday 2nd May. I have made no secret of my Lib Dem leanings, especially in respect of principles which I regard as fundamental to functioning democracy: fairness, community consultation, open debate, respect for a local community and their interests, provision of affordable housing ….

The problem I have is that Gareth Roberts, the candidate I should be voting for in the South West London constituency, has defied all those principles. Teddington and Twickenham are preferred to East Sheen and Mortlake. The best he can do in terms of consultation and debate about the Stag Brewery is to storm disrespectfully out of a meeting shouting ‘Get real’. He oversees a residential planning application which has reduced affordable housing from 30% to 6%.

He oversees the import of a school from East London to the banks of Mortlake, pretending that it will benefit the area. How? It will primarily attract pupils from across London, thereby exacerbating local traffic and other infrastructure problems. Worse still it would impact detrimentally on the other schools in the area, schools which he has failed to consider or consult.

I have had several local councillors, including one canvassing at my door in the last few hours, tell me that the Council was required by law to make the recent planning decisions. None of them has been able to explain why that might be so. I do not believe it. It is simply what they have been told to say to what they regard as the gullible public.

So how to vote? For an autocrat who gives the appearance of regarding himself as en route to the House of Lords or for a party which locally is allowing its guiding principles to be subverted?

Richard White

So the autocrat won.