A hundred members are at the Coffee Shop logged in every day, and many, many more guests visit.  You are from all over the segment of England and Wales covered by GWR and some from further.

This post is here to reach just the handful of members who live in the same council ward as I do - that's Melksham (South) and to request you to write in over this weekend to the returning officer at Wiltshire Council asking her to hold a by-election in the ward.

None of our four Town Councillors from May was elected in a public vote (not enough candidates) and one of them has now left the council.  At a co-option process after the May election, no fewer than seven people offered themselves to fill the three vacancies across the whole council, and only two of them were deemed suitable by the largely self-appointed group we now have.  I believe an election to fill the gap would be for the greater good of the town.    So if you are one of the minority here who live in the ward - please write in for the sake and strength of community and voice in Melksham.  If you know someone else who does, please ask THEM to write in

The details of who to write to, and a sample letter, are on my blog which includes a map of the South Ward
https://grahamellis.uk/blog1665.html

I have been asked if I would consider standing again.  Yes, and indeed I am considering it - but that is a very, very different story to jumping in and actually doing it. I don't have an answer and I want and need to go through this very thoroughly with family when I get back to the UK.  There's a further piece on that at
https://grahamellis.uk/blog1673.html

It is good to see Melksham Town Council starting to engage with transport issues such as the Bath and Wiltshire Metro proposals and I would love to be able to vote for a candidate who would have consideration for such matters.  I celebrate that the engagements seen are going on in my absence and that bodes well for the future as I slacken off.

 
I would be amazed if we don't have an election - let's put it like that.  Quite a few people have written in, even from within the electorate of this particular ward which is perhaps just 12% of the population of Melksham.  I don't know who will fill the vacant seat - but I know we will have given the opportunity to whoever it is to have the moral backing of the democratic process of voting, and will be answerable to the voters. 

 

Now official - election called for 9th October.

 
Graham - Make Melksham great again! 

 

Various people have asked me if I will stand, and I told them I would consider doing so.  Well - I have considered and had basically concluded "no, I won't".  Further discussion with Lisa, and more observation of current councillors, have confirmed that decision - more at https://grahamellis.uk/blog1685.html

It will mean more time to do other things - now that I am back off the end of my 2000 mile plus journey from Svolvaer, I have time to work on software, sort out some transport questions, wash my clothes and write a book without being constantly pulled into fraught in-person meetings where progress seems positively snail-paced, and which worry my tempremant.

 
A sensible decision in my view