No good will come of this chaos.

The political chaos in the Conservative Party in Tunbridge Wells centred on the former Leader of the Council, Roy Bullock.  Although ousted, the in-fighting continues. Candidates have been de-selected, a seat lost and councillors trade insults in the local press. The Liberal Democrats cannot believe their luck at the Tories self-inflicted wounds.

An hospital consultant has to have three skills: diagnostic, treatment and bed-side manner.

Roy Bullock diagnosed what needed to be done to save the borough from economic decline, he proposed appropriate remedies, but failed the bed-side manner test.  He failed to take the Conservative Group with him and failed also to communicate with the electorate.

The Conservative Group lost its nerve and replaced him with a Leader who disclosed his ignorance of the Council's standing orders at a recent council meeting. Doesn't inspire confidence. There has been much talk of 'trust', 'consultation' and 'unifying', but precious little action.

The Liberal Democrats, who claim to be 'progressive',  have made common purpose with the reactionary forces in the town who seem hell bent on scuppering any proposal for development which involves knocking down buildings.  The furore over the civic complex, the Great Hall car park and the Brew House hotel extension is aimed at preserving the town in aspic and disregarding the urgent need for regeneration. The battle cry is that we must protect the 'historic town centre', although none of the locations  is historic in the accepted sense of the word.

The risk is that the Liberal Democrats, for purely narrow political advantage, will support the reactionary cabal.

The Conservative Group lost its nerve and now resembles rabbits frozen in the headlights of the Aspic Brigade's juggernaut. What is needed is strong leadership and steadfast determination to do what is required to promote the economic well-being of the borough.  Appeasement  of the Aspics is the road to ruin.  The Tories must not go down this road, it will damage them and hasten the economic decline of West Kent.