"NO TORY SEAT IS SAFE" AS LABOUR TARGET McGINTY'S LAIR

Alexia Bartlett and helpers in Ashcott,East Polden

Tory leader Duncan McGinty's 'safe' East Polden ward was awash with Labour red tonight as local candidate Alexia Bartlett hit the campaign trail with her team of supporters determined to wrest the seat from the Conservatives.

Alexia, a mother of two , lives in Ashcott and decided to run for Sedgemoor District Council in order to encourage people to make a stand against Tory policies. "I'm standing here in East Polden because i believe people need a change from the Conservatives who think they can take this place for granted."

Working as a teacher at Richard Huish College Alexia is deeply concerned about what the Tories and their LibDem allies are doing Nationally to future generations of young people. " I have been appalled  by the 100% cuts to the Arts by the County Tories and believe the measure of a society can be judged by it's support for the Arts and Culture. I am angry that the Tories Nationally are imposing swingeing cutbacks everywhere that affect the most vulnerable."

"...a complacent and arrogant set of Tories .."

Knocking on doors and chatting to people in their gardens Alexia was bouyant " I am dissapointed at the lack of foresight by the Tory run District council as they cutback on leisure provision in the Bridgwater area and fail to consult the people. This is the sign of a complacent and arrogant set of Tories who take people for granted. I am especially annoyed at the LibDems for letting this happen and going back on their wor over tuition fees and almost everything else they fooled people with in order to gain a fingertip on power ."



Alexia explaining the geography of Ashcott to her Chairman

 Sedgemoor District Labour Party Chairman, Brian Smedley, said the response on the doorsteps of Ashcott had been very positive. "People were happy to see a local person standing up to the Tories. Theres actually a lot of hostility to the Conservatives here and Alexia's work will be focused on mobilising that . "

"Uniting the Anti Tory vote"

"The problem Alexia will have will be shepherding that anti-Tory sentiment  because both LibDems and Greens are also standing in East Polden which could split the vote. The fact is that  the LibDem vote iss collapsing and people want to punish them for supporting the Tories so voting for them is yet again a wasted vote and therefore to make their vote count, people  need to get behind the Labour candidate and turn out on May 5th and vote for Alexia as the best way to do this!"

The East Polden ward is based on the villages of Ashcott, Greinton, Shapwick and Moorlinch and with 1,719 voters is one of the smallest Sedgemoor wards.