Welcome to my page – A Whittlesey Independent!

I, Barry Wainwright, joined Whittlesey Town Council two years ago because I wanted to make a difference in my local community. I have found the role rewarding, but frustrating as well! The council has a strong Conservative majority, with nine Conservative councillors and five independents.

Whilst some of the conservative candidates are local people who have served the community on the council for many years, there is a strong and highly political contingent from ‘out of town’, imposed on the area by the selectors at NECCA (the North East Cambridgeshire Conservative Association) to fill places on the council where there were no nominations from amongst the local people.

It is a sad fact that, at the last election, ten of the fourteen seats on the council were filled by appointment without a vote as there weren’t enough nominations to trigger an election. That meant that, a month before the election, Whittlesey Town Council already had a Conservative majority!

The five independents (an additional independent was elected in a by-election following the resignation of one of the Conservative councillors) work well together, whilst retaining the right to act individually, according to their own conscience on any matter. There is no ‘party whip’ directing us on any topic!