CLLR Vikki Slade in 2019 took the Unity Alliance through a very successful social care budget for which she was praised by many including a Conservative councillor.

As a campaigner for democracy, for well-being and equal opportunities, she has been at the forefront of tackling bullying, domestic abuse and unambitious standards in schools, housing and transport.

She’s keen on community-led energy schemes and in working collaboratively to find solutions to the myriad of problems facing us all.

She has a financial background and has worked with community groups (and led the local chamber of trade) as well as mentoring disadvantaged youngsters to help them into apprenticeships and work placements.

She sees the opportunities of renewables and has been listening to those talking about the science and dangers of climate change.

This has earned her some unwarranted criticism in Conservative campaign literature.

Meanwhile, Cllr Philip Broadhead tells the Echo he wants to be ‘judged on what we do’.

He may have squeaked back into BCP Council by the skin of his teeth but how does he know on what grounds or with what confidence he is voted back in?

Perhaps he’s forgotten that at Holdenhurst Parish Hall early last year he was accused by a local campaigner of ‘losing’ 3,000 objections to concreting over Wessex Fields.

Now we hear Wessex Fields are to be trashed when we need biodiversity as a matter of extreme importance, as King Charles points out.

Not to mention any embarrassing mentions of rotten boroughs and minister of state interventions when he and Drew Mellor were in charge.

Mind the Gap indeed as our monarch warns us!

SUSAN CHAPMAN

Parkwood Road, Southbourne