Zac Goldsmith, the Old Etonian and heir to a multi-million fortune whom the Tories have selected as their candidate for election as London Mayor this year, held a launch event this morning in Croydon but refused to provide access for Inside Croydon.
Spot the difference: Zac Goldsmith and the London Mayor, Boris Johnson
Invitations to the launch, held at a “secret” location in what Goldsmith must imagine is a Conservative heartland, were sent out on Sunday evening by the Richmond MP’s campaign team, which has saddled itself with the ridiculous social media hashtag of #BackZacAndCrack.
A request from Inside Croydon Towers to attend this fascinating event was ignored by the very well-funded Goldsmith campaign.
According to a confidential Conservative briefing note seen by Inside Croydon, at the launch – which amounts to nothing more than a Glee Club rally from some of the millionaire’s doting supporters from the suburbs, including the unprincipled Gavin Barwell and the vacuous and overpaid Steve O’Connell, Goldsmith was planning to say: “My Plan for Greater London will deliver more homes, better transport, safer streets, and cleaner air.”
These are pledges which Londoners, especially those living and working in Croydon, will already be familiar with after eight years of a Tory Mayor, or the disaster passed-off-as–as-a-politician that is Bullingdon Club member Boris Johnson. As Mayor, Johnson has overseen the London riots and a reduction in police numbers on our streets, he has given planning permission for a polluting industrial waste incinerator at Beddington Lane and signed off on multi-million-pound road-building schemes, and he three times promised to build a tram extension to Crystal Palace.
“London has prospered over the past decade, but too many Londoners are being priced out of their own city, and so this election comes a critical time,” Goldsmith’s speech notes for his secret rally said.
“We can take London’s success and make it work for everyone who lives and works here, but that can only happen with a strong and independent-minded Mayor who is able to secure a the funds and powers needed from this Government.”
The “independent-minded Mayor” line is just the latest Tory myth which Goldsmith is trying to foist on the electorate to distance himself from the increasingly unpopular Conservative Government.
Goldsmith, who claims to hold firm views on protecting the environment, has pledged that he would resign his safe Conservative seat if the Government agrees to build a third runway at Heathrow Airport. The much-delayed decision was postponed again just before Christmas by David Cameron’s Government; widely expected to be in favour of the Heathrow third runway, no announcement is now expected until after May, so that Goldsmith’s resignation pledge is not put to the test before the London elections.
Independent-minded, oh yeah.
- Still Croydon’s only independent news source, and based in the heart of the borough: 1.97 million page views 2013-2015
- Inside Croydon: Named among best regional media campaigns, 2014
- If you have a news story about life in or around Croydon, a residents’ or business association or local event to publicise, please email us with full details at inside.croydon@btinternet.com
I think you will find that only bona fide unbiased journalists were invited. You should be an unbiased journalist but you are so twisted to the Left – you don’t even see it for yourself.
Yes, of course, John, because The Sun, Times, Mail and Telegraph, and their Sunday counterparts, are all so unimpeachably unbiased.
What is particularly odd, then, is that the #BackZacAndCrack “team” continue to send press releases to us, as a bona fide website.
It appears that they expect us to publish what their candidate has to say, but just don’t want us to be able to ask our own questions. Now what does that say about the modern Conservative Party?
Just enjoy the next ten years in the political wilderness. Your only hope is that David Miliband comes riding over the horizon and forms a new Labour Party. The 400,000 die hard supporters of Jeremy only represent 4% of the 9.3 million people who voted at the last Election. JC has no support, no mandate but you ain’t seen nothing yet in how far he will take Old Labour into political oblivion. Going to be fun watching !
Your facts are wrong (no change there then) and you’re a thousand miles off topic. Try reading the rules before you try posting next time.