THE new Whitehill & Bordon Community Party says it has seen a surge in support as it takes to social media to make its voice heard.

The new political party - whose members include three former Liberal Democrat councillors on Whitehill Town Council and which was founded by former Liberal Democrat town-council leader Andy Tree - also condemned vandalism of the new play area at the Hogmoor Inclosure.

This damage followed vandalism of the skatepark in Budds Lane, forcing its early closure, and at the Bordon Inclosure near the new Quebec Park estate.

The new party has vowed to bring “a political earthquake” to the town, and founder and former town councillor Mr Tree claimed that he wanted “to sweep aside national party politics” from the town council and instead “represent the views of local residents”.

But town-council leader Mark Davison has said that party politics is absent from the council, on which all councillors - who are Conservative apart from the three who have joined the new party - work for the benefit of town residents (see interview on page 12).

Mr Tree told the Bordon Herald this week that “interactions” - likes, shares and comments - with the group’s social-media posts were running into the thousands.

On Facebook, the new party describes itself as “a group standing up for the local community and fighting for the facilities that Whitehill and Bordon deserves”.

And it seems this direct engagement has struck a chord with people online.

The group already has more “likes” than both the East Hampshire Liberal Democrat and East Hampshire Conservative Facebook groups. The new party pointed out that this is in spite of the facts that it has not paid for advertising and that the Liberal Democrats and Conservatives have been active for longer and cover the whole of East Hampshire including Alton and Petersfield.

The East Hampshire Tories have mustered 160 Facebook “likes” and the Liberal Democrats just 79 - less than the Whitehill & Bordon Community Party’s 221 (as of yesterday, Wednesday). And the numbers are growing fast for the exclusively local-interest group. However, despite its success on social media, the real gauge of the new group’s support will come when it fields candidates in elections for two vacant town-council seats on Monday, September 4.

On the town council, the new party gained three out of its 13 seats when former Liberal Democrats Roger Russell, Duncan Sanders and Leeroy Scott joined it.

Another new member the group is keen to promote is local Independent Hampshire County Council candidate Neville Taylor who stood in the recent county elections. Mr Taylor polled in third place, falling behind both the Liberal Democrats and Conservative winner Adam Carew.

“I believe in having no national-party politics at local level and so teaming up with Andy Tree and joining the Whitehill & Bordon Community Party was a natural step forward,” Mr Taylor said. “We can work together in an effective way to stand up and fight for local residents. I stood to be a county councillor as I want to hold those in power to account and being part of the Whitehill & Bordon Community Party will enable me to do this as part of a strong and diverse team.”

And the party has already secured at least one vote.

Bordon resident Jennifer Garrigan-Avery said: “I vote Conservative in general elections and nothing would tear me from the national Conservative Party. However, I would be very happy to support the Whitehill & Bordon Community Party as Andy Tree says what he thinks, responds directly to my concerns and stands up for local residents.”

Mr Tree added: “I have personally been receiving emails and messages of support from local residents whom I have never even met before. I am so grateful to be receiving positive encouragement, which gives our entire group so much motivation to succeed.

“Social media is a great way to reach out to residents and ask questions to get feedback. It is the feedback from residents that enables us to legitimately represent real people. We offer something different, something better, something that really represents the views of the local community.”

But Conservative town council leader Mr Davison maintains that councillors work well together regardless of political colours.

He has also said he is open to good ideas no matter where they come from and explained that, at parish level, party members are not tied by national policy.

“Whitehill and Bordon Conservative councillors are free to take whatever stance they see fit for the benefit of the community,” he said. “In fact it is encouraged so that a frank and open discussion can be had for the best possible outcome for our residents.”

Whitehill & Bordon Community Party group leader Mr Russell said he had been verbally abused, last Thursday, by a group of vandals damaging the new play area at the Hogmoor Inclosure.

He said: “I caught a group trying to wreck the play area. They became abusive and so I called the police. The following day a meeting between the town council, Regeneration Company (which is developing Prince Philip Barracks of which the Inclosure is part) and police went well.

“Andrea (Mann), our town clerk, is doing her best at looking at various potential options and the police will hopefully now make themselves known. Local people have had enough and want action taken and I have made this clear to police.”

Mr Tree said: “It is with great sadness that the Hogmoor Inclosure is being damaged by a small minority and I have received emails and social-media messages from residents who feel intimidated, which is not acceptable. With the school holidays coming up, the problem needs to be dealt with quickly and effectively.”