James Hill, Conservative candidate for Billing

Transcript

00:00If you introduce yourself, James.

00:01Hi, so I'm James Hill. I'm the Conservative candidate for Billing Award.

00:04How are you feeling today?

00:06A little despondent. I think it's going to be a very interesting set of results today.

00:12Myself personally, you know, I've worked quite hard in my area,

00:15but it looks like reform are on the march,

00:17and many people are going to be counted to have, including myself on that.

00:22How are you feeling about that news coming through, reform kind of potentially taking a seat?

00:26I think it was on the cards to an extent.

00:30But now seeing it actually happen and unfold is quite something.

00:33Some seats which are just absolutely solid Tory seats for so many years are going to go reform,

00:39and it's just an incredible thing to see, really.

00:41But this is where we are. This is where we are.

00:43The national picture, the national mood has basically just built it down to your local elections,

00:47and people have taken the ballot box to show their feelings, and that's why I think it's happening.

00:51What is that national mood? Why are people voting for...?

00:53I think a complete disenfranchisement with the major parties, Labour and Conservatives.

00:57We've obviously had the Conservative government for 14 years that people were very unhappy with in the end.

01:01We've now had Labour government for a year, people are very unhappy with that, it seems,

01:05and basically it's just going to be taking out their frustrations out here.

01:10Where would that leave you, sorry?

01:12Yeah, I mean, my ward, I've worked extremely hard.

01:14I hope there's a personal vote that's been counted now,

01:17but I'm in the mix still, unlike some of us, it seems like.

01:20I've got a fighting chance, but I'm not exactly hopeful.

01:25I just hope that whoever gets elected are good, hard-working councillors who realise it's about the community.

01:31It isn't about stopping the boats or Farage, it's actually about your community.

01:34And if we can have councillors who do that, then I'll be happy.

01:36But we need to look at why this has happened.

01:39My party has failed people nationally.

01:42I think locally as well, there's questions to be asked.

01:44People locally will say, well, it was the national picture.

01:47Yes, mainly, but I think locally we've had our fair share of scandals in this county.

01:52And in fact, actually, one of my biggest gripes has been that there's been a lot of good Tories

01:56who have basically stayed silent when they should have spoken up.

01:59They've been good Tory boys, if you like, and girls,

02:03and now the chickens are coming home to roost because we've been silent,

02:06we haven't called out bad and the rubbish people when we should have,

02:09and now it's like, OK, that's it.

02:10But now the electorate are basically punishing us, and that's where we are.

02:15So we'll see what happens, but I think it's going to be a very dark day for both Labour and Conservatives.

02:19Thank you very much, James.