Sunday 30 October 2005

My Century

I suppose as this is my landmark 100th post in my blog I should come up with erudite passage of literary greatness. I'm sorry my muse fails me having just got back from the gym and watched the latest episode of West Wing.

However, highlight of the week may be the maiden speech of my new MP who spoke on Tuesday on the Electoral Administration Bill at 5:46pm.

I cannot fault him on his tributes to Robin Cook, nor his support of a total ban on smoking. However, his contributions to the debate were full of half truths. He said:

I have ideas on how we should improve turnout. From my experience in the by-election, one idea is about political honesty and political debate.


This is from the man who failed to engage one on one with the electorate at two of three hustings meetings that were held during the campaign, failing to turn up at one and arriving late and leaving early from another. This from a man who ten day before polling day said that the number one issue that people were talking to him about on the streets was drugs. This was the 'tabloid' banner on a leaflet that went throughout the constituency. Yet on the eve of poll in The Scotsman said:

The issues are the bread-and-butter ones - health, education, jobs.


I ask him where did the drugs issue go from 10 days before?

His team also on two separate occasions hindered the Liberal Democrat candidate from actively engaging with the electorate. Once while attempting to point out an anomaly in one of Mr Devine's leaflet and once to meet the people in a village main street.

Mr Devine if as you claim dishonesty alienates voters, and is why people do not participate in the political process maybe you should look at your own house first.

Having re-read this maybe I was erudite after all.

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