A
touch of Hollywood will come to Nuneaton this week where the local elections have thrown
up one of the fiercest ever contests.
Labour candidate Robin Hood will fight the Chilvers Coton seat, but he will not be
having an easy time of it – his conservative opponent is John Waine.
It will not be the first time that the pair have had a shoot-out, they went head to
head four years ago when the honours were taken by Robin Hood.
Chief reporter on Nuneaton’s Heartland Evening News Simon Lee says the contest has
caused great amusement in the area for a long while.
"They always seem to be against each other and it really is quite funny when
election time comes around but obviously it is a great showdown," he commented.
However, on the more serious side of the elections Lee believes that there will be
little or no surprises.
He said:
"Nuneaton and Bedworth operate on 1/3rd of the seats being up for grabs
and because of the overwhelming majority that Labour currently enjoys whatever happens it
cannot change control.
"The conservatives are contesting every seat but there are only two or three where
they have a real chance of winning, one of which, St. Nicolas, they currently hold.
"The others that they have a fighting chance in are Waddington and Whitestone
which have both previously been Conservatives seats at some time."
One of the most high profile issues to cause debate is sure to be leisure and
amenities, after Bulkington candidate Trish Harris was deselected by her own party.
Harris had previously been chairman of the leisure and amenities committee, an area
that the council had promised to develop, but many people feel that they have failed to
deliver.
The elections will also see the Liberal Democrats make history in Nuneaton and
Bedworth; there will be more candidates from the party contesting seats in the area than
ever before.
