A lack of opposition has kept the Whitehill & Bordon Community Party in power at Whitehill Town Council – but its leader Andy Tree believes the collapse in enthusiasm for local democracy is bad for the town.

Only former Liberal Democrat and Conservative town councillor Adam Carew, now branded as an Independent, is standing between Mr Tree’s party and a second consecutive clean sweep of the authority’s 15 seats. 

Mr Tree feels having people keen to take a place at the town council is “vital to doing a good job for our community at grassroots level”, and with his party also chasing East Hampshire District Council seats he stressed the local credentials of his hopefuls.

He said: “All Whitehill & Bordon Community Party candidates are committed to the unpaid town council roles. Working locally for our residents is what I am focused on.

“We are open, clear and transparent in what we collectively stand for and our desire to represent our fellow residents. We are honest in our policies, who we are, and that we all live in Whitehill, Bordon and Lindford.

“I can reassure all residents that we have their backs locally if they vote for us. We have excellent town council candidates still fighting the election against Mr Carew in Whitehill Hogmoor and Greatham, and hope they will vote for all of us as a group.

“I hope voters will elect us on to East Hampshire District Council for the first time, sending a clear message that Whitehill, Bordon, Lindford and Greatham are important and need to be treated fairly, showing the door to the Conservatives and Lib Dems who have failed to represent us adequately for the past four years, and giving us the strong overall candidates we need to fight for our community.

“There is so much work for us to do to try to improve East Hampshire District Council if we are elected and I relish the challenges ahead to make a positive difference.”