It’s time to acknowledge the campaigning work of Paddy Stephenson in Hastings

I had to witness my mother’s shock and dismay on hearing the news how Hastings Labour Party claim in their Manifesto 2017 ‘concerning success’ campaigns how they “Achieved” to ‘Establish Robsack Meadow as a Local Nature Reserve’.

This news came to Patricia Stephenson (AKA Paddy) in her last few weeks of life in spring this year, while dying of cancer.

While caring for her, she told me she had heard the dreadful news, the Labour council had taken as its achievement, the seven-year campaign she led on with her fellow campaigners, to prevent the council approving of a building development in the meadow.

Over seven years, our family witnessed the time, dedication and distraught my mother experienced petitioning and fighting the council to protect the wildlife and flora in Robsack Meadow.

Her campaign was an unpaid full time role, with her often working late into the night.

My family at times would have preferred for her to take a step back and enjoy her retirement, but her commitment was such she saw this through to the end.

She won this campaign when the planning inspector Richard Hollox acknowledging the 114 page report my mother presented at a hearing, which resulted in Robsack Meadow being declared a Local Nature Reserve.

The Labour party has blatantly taken credit for an achievement that is not theirs and never was.

They have not recognised or appreciated its residents voluntary contributions to protect the environment. What this discloses is how they will steal from others in order to gain for themselves.

This claim was bought to my attention recently how the Hastings Observer has previously published several letters about this fictitious “Achievement” yet been ignored by this local Labour Party

It is a disgrace to claim others hard won efforts and claim as your own and while she has departed the truth will not die.

Apart from this false claim being redacted from their manifest an apology is required from the Labour Party and the achievement needs to be acknowledged as one of my mother’s and her fellow campaigners.

While I am not that politically motivated, this has made me see the Labour party as underhand in their endeavours and not a political party that will have my vote.

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