THE defeat of the Labour Party at Higham Hill must pose many problems for the Labour Party. No doubt they will say they didn't get their message across, or the electorate didn't understand their policies, etc.
Ever since the 62 per cent rate increase most of the population of the borough have had to pay out another £5 to £10 per week in rates.
This, of course, was one message that did come through loud and clear from the ruling Labour group.
Following on from this, the Labour MP for Walthamstow lost his seat in last year's General Election.
Predictably, as a direct result of the rate increase, the borough was then ratecapped by central government. Our Labour council feigned surprise at this, but everybody else saw it coming.
What our local Labour Party has failed to understand is that their former supporters haven't suddenly become Tories or Liberals, but anti-Labour. This is apparent from the election results in Higham Hill, where, in spite of a larger turnout of people to vote than in the local council election two years ago, Labour polled approx 40 per cent less votes - and this was a Labour stronghold.
My first thought was that there would be a leadership struggle within the party, but who would want to take over the helm and inherit all the problems that Neil Gerrard has brought on the party - and the borough.
The only honest thing for the rest of the Labour councillors to do, in the light of these events, is to resign and submit themselves to the acid test of a re-election struggle.
ROBERT JOHNSON, Acacia Road, Walthamstow.
