And so it ends. It’s not you, it’s me.

Ravi,

First of all I would like to offer my belated congratulations on the election results, especially the Earlsfield by-election. I am sure they would not have been as good for the Conservative Party had it not been for your work in the borough over the years.

During my time as a councillor it’s been a great privilege to work with councils across the country, whether good or bad I have learned an enormous amount from all of them. Here in Wandsworth it has been fascinating to witness a period of change over the past four years as you have developed your vision and created the team to deliver it. However, throughout those four years and in the past few weeks in particular it has become increasingly apparent that there is nothing I can offer.

When we met some eighteen months ago you told me that much of your thinking was driven by your need to plan for 2018 and beyond and that need can only get stronger as 2018 approaches. In that context you do not need dead-weight. Equally, I have come to realise that as much as I love being a councillor and serving residents, I have often felt constrained by my membership of the majority group.

After lengthy consideration I have notified the chief executive that I wish to resign from the majority group.

Regards,

James.

And that’s it. No big issue, no flounce. Just sadness because I feel a bit useless and think I can do more for residents if I can focus on trying to help instead of my almost Pavlovian instinct to defend council policy (whatever I think of it).

It really is like the end of a stale relationship.

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