Tory asks: 'Is this UK or Zimbabwe?
THE campaign to turn Swansea blue for the first time in decades has kicked off with a candidate comparing Britain to Zimbabwe.
Swansea West Conservative candidate Rene Kinzett courted controversy last year over comments he made about fellow councillors.
"Most of the people on the council are in their 60s and, quite frankly, past it," he said.
Councillor Kinzett made the comment following criticism from councillors, after he had claimed that most of them knew "less than his cat".
Councillors Mary Jones and Wendy Fitzgerald reported him to the Local Government Ombudsman for breaching the council's code of conduct.
Now the Ombudsman has decided Councillor Kinzett's punishment should be decided by the council's standards committee.
However, he said: "I am standing by my view that Swansea Council is unrepresentative."
He added: "I think the most interesting thing is I can't say that a councillor is useless. Democracy has been dealt a blow by the Ombudsman.
"If I think Gordon Brown is useless, am I going to be arrested? Is this Britain or Zimbabwe?
"By any yardstick the people who run Swansea Council are useless. They have cut school budgets, a school has gone into special measures and social services is under virtual control by the Assembly.
Councillor Kinzett joined his fellow Tory candidates as they met commuters at Swansea railway station.
Byron Davies is standing in the Conservative target seat of Gower.
Christian Holliday is hoping to take Swansea East from Labour's Sian James and Councillor Kinzett is battling to win the Swansea West seat following Labour MP Alan Williams's decision to step down.
Councillor Kinzett, leader of the council's Tory group, said: "People want change in this country.
"There are record levels of debt and we have to get the deficit down.
"Locally we have got issues with the Lib Dem council sacking 100 teachers and we have a school which has been taken into special measures."
alex.brown@swwmedia.co.uk
6 Comments
by Pee-litical, Swansea, Swansea
Saturday, April 10 2010, 8:11AM
“RE: Poo-litical, Swansea
You are obviously a Lib Dem Councillor who is still peed off that Councillor Kinzett left your administration a few years ago. Well you can't blame Councillor Kinzett because there is only so much sh-t any one decent person can take and as you Lib Dems are so full of it I question why he ever joined your party to begin with.
Oh and Poo-litical, Swansea, you are hardly in a position to call Councillor Kinzett are you?
Oh yea and your comment that "why or why didn't he try to change the Party when he was a Party member!". How the hell is one person going to change a party that is ROTTEN TO THE CORE.
By the way I am not a member of the conservative party.”
by B Bailey, Swansea
Saturday, April 10 2010, 7:54AM
“It is a sad state of affairs when you get reported for speaking the truth but what is worse is the ombudsman decides to run with a complaint made by a pair of alley cat prats - no offense intended to either 'top cat' or councilllor Kinzetts cat. Lets be honest here councillor Mary Jones has been found guilty by a TRIBUNAL of improper behaviour and that does not include the 90 million IT capgemini FIASCO and Wendy Fitzgerald put children at risk through arrogance and incompetence which led to a Welsh Assembly intervention board being installed in councty hall. As for the standards committee I am sure councillor Kinzett will be dealt with fairly and justly - NOT. The only time you will get a fair hearing is if you are a member of the administration.
Openness, transparency, natural justice, integrity, decency certainly don't apply to this lib dem administration.”
by Poo-litical, Swansea
Friday, April 09 2010, 8:44PM
“Rene the Renegade, is hardly of sufficient enough moral character to cast assertions about the conduct of others, as he like several of our Councillors, choose not to attend council meetings and to pursue their careers elsewhere! If the Lib Dums are so useless as is maintained my Rene, then why or why didn't he try to change the Party when he was a Party member!?
Rene himself has probably spent more time in Zimbabwe than Swansea! Or is it that Rene confuses Swaziland with our Swansea land!?”
by Heather, Mumbles
Friday, April 09 2010, 8:21PM
“NO, it isn't Zimbabwe but it is fast becoming another Afghanistan. Not Swansea though, people here have yet to experience what other parts of the UK have become!”
by jeffery, dirtytown
Friday, April 09 2010, 8:03PM
“Why do people compare South Wales with poor African countries of dubious standards. Is there something in it we do not know?”
by dai evans, swansea
Friday, April 09 2010, 5:33PM
“One comment made by Cllr Kinzett, i fully agree with, when he states that this present Lib/Dem led council is useless.
Prime example being both Wendy Fitzgerald and Mary Jones-- Both of whom have made a complete mess of cabinet positions given which has cost our City dearly-- Cllr Fitzgerald made such a mess of childrens social services and Cllr Mary Jones on this Cap Gemini I.T system which is one of the reasons that Swansea is in such a financial crisis--For these two to be involved in reporting Cllr Kinzett to the ombustman is so petty and again expensive financially from out of the public purse--- If these two Councillors were not so useless they should have laugh, the comments made off and prove to Cllr Kinzett that they did have some value. Though unfortunatly they have little value to Swansea.”