Thursday, April 29, 2010
Election fever grips Tonbridge....
....er actually not really. I haven't seen any pictures of John Stanley like the one of Greg Clarke's ugly grinning mug as you drive into Southborough. Nor have I spotted many posters for the Lib Dems in people's windows. My next door neighbour is proudly and shamelessly displaying two big Labour posters in his front windows in a street which, I'd guess, is predominantly Tory voting. (Well he is a scouser! A posh one but nevertheless! No offence Dave if you read this!) The Green Party have pushed a leaflet in my hand in a flying visit to my shop but, I suspect, only because the candidate is a regular customer. I've had a UKIP brochure given to me and, curiously, a traditional weights and measures leaflet at the same time (is that a UKIP thing?) But no blatant electioneering so far, no walkabouts, no pressing of flesh at the Civic Society Design Awards dinner I attended the other night. Where are the Tonbridge and Malling parliamentary candidates hiding out? Does John Stanley think that this is such a safe seat that he can afford to take his electorate for granted? I would have thought that, by now, I'd have seen at least a couple of the candidates in the town centre eager to be assured of our votes. Maybe they, like the rest of us, are sitting with bated breath waiting for the next gaffe and, probably, scared to make their own; or else sitting by the TV ready for tonight's instalment of the Prime Ministerial Debate....
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12 comments:
Sir John was out greeting the commuters at Tonbridge station the other morning...other than that it does all seem to have been a bit quiet!
Preeching to the converted perhaps?...
i'm voting Lib Dem!
Was shocked to see we have a national front candidate who claims that the LAB LIB CON alliance are all Marxists!
Not a lot of this was in the Tory election handout.
From the www.theyworkforyou.com site.
John Stanleys voting record since 2001 indicates that he :-
Voted very strongly for the Iraq war.
Voted strongly for an investigation into the Iraq war.
Voted moderately against allowing ministers to intervene in inquests.
Voted moderately for laws to stop climate change.
Voted very strongly for replacing Trident.
Voted strongly against Labour's anti-terrorism laws.
Voted moderately against the hunting ban.
Voted very strongly for introducing a smoking ban.
Voted strongly for greater autonomy for schools.
Has never voted on a transparent Parliament.
Voted a mixture of for and against removing hereditary peers from the House of Lords.
Voted moderately against a wholly elected House of Lords.
Voted strongly against introducing student top-up fees.
Voted strongly against introducing ID cards.
Voted moderately against equal gay rights.
Voted moderately against introducing foundation hospitals.
The labour voters in Tonbridge are bound to have a lower turnout next week because of unhappiness with previous Tory Blair policies. So, for this year only, why don't they all vote tactically for the lib dems. This would achieve the twin aims of sending a message to Gordon, AND keeping out the conservatives.
So don't just sit grumpily at home, socialists. Unless you really want a Tory MP again, get out there and make a difference!
Actually T-Blog, most commuters were just ignoring him (and probably didn't know who he was).
I too was a bit disturbed by the National Front leaflet....!
And I see in the Courier today that there was a candidates debate (mirroring that of the Leaders) held in Tonbridge the other day. I didn't see that publicized. Have I been blind?...
John Stanley is a competent speaker and probably a good administrator. He certainly writes back with great concern if you contact him about any local matters (I know that from personal experience) but I do wonder if you took him away would anything not get done that would have done; or does anything go ahead which wouldn't have done but for his intervention? I'm not convinced that his influence is any where near as strong as he and his followers would have us think. Am I wrong? and would a Labour or Lib Dem or, for that matter UKIP, newcomer be any better?...
I all for fresh blood in government but John Stanley is 68 and will be 73 by the end of this pasliament - if it last that long.
I am a great believer in letting the younger generation have its day. I am sure John Stanley does not need to work any more for the money, he will get a large pension.
If john stanley loses, will his financial take from our local company Fidelity be transfered to the next influencial MP?
I'm with the fresh blood argument but only up to a point. If he's still fit and well and, above all, still motivated and enthusiastic does it really matter how old he is? If I believed in his party's philosophies then I'd probably rather go for the safe experienced hands. It's not like he has to run a marathon every day is it!...
The point about people over retirement age giving up work is that we have many young people that are unable to find jobs and their furture are being put on hold. On the other hand we have many older people that do not need to work for financial reason but do. If they want to work they could give up and do voluntary work and they would be helping the nation.
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