Dave Anderson, Labour MP for Blaydon, the constituency in which my ward is located on Tyneside, voted with the government last week to continue closing post offices. Mr Anderson has signed reams of early day motions protesting about the impact of government policy on post offices, EDMs that have highlighted the importance of post offices to communities.
Mr Anderson was selected on a platform of hostility to New Labour in 2004 when he was chosen by the union dominated Labour machine as their candidate for Blaydon. But since his election in 2005 he has willingly taken on the role of New Labour bag carrier and apologist for the government. Okay, a few times he loves to whinge, whine and blubber about how dreadful is the government. But you can count on the fingers of no hands at all the number of times he has actually made a genuine attempt to stop the government doing something he claims to be against by voting against the government. In other words, this MP, despite his posturing, has never once voted against the government.
The guy who postured that he would be his own guy and hold the government to account turns out not to be his own guy after all.
So it is time to hold him to account. Peter Maughan, our Blaydon candidate, has challenged him to a public debate in front of his constituents about the future of Post Offices. It is time for him to explain to people here why he says one thing and does another.
The chances are he will bottle out of taking up the challenge. So come on David, prove me wrong. Come along and tell your constituents why you have voted to close their post offices.
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3 comments:
SO WHEN ARE WE GOING TO SEE LEAFLETS THROUGH EVERY DOOR TELLING US ABOUT THIS USELESS HIPOCRITCAL MP ? I USED TO GET LEAFLETS ABOUT MY MP IN LEEDS HE WAS EXACTLY THE SAME TELLING US ONE THING BUT DOING ANOTHER. SANDRA COWANS
"Okay, a few times he loves to whinge, whine and blubber about how dreadful is the government. But you can count on the fingers of no hands at all the number of times he has actually made a genuine attempt to stop the government doing something he claims to be against by voting against the government. In other words, this MP, despite his posturing, has never once voted against the government."
That might be to do with the fact that there is no point in being in a political party unles you abide by your own democratically agreed policy.
Unless, of course, you are a Lib Dem, in which case yo do whatever you want.
There is absolutely nothing inconsistent about sticking to your line while arguing to change it. That's just democracy.
As for it being New Labour or the 'Trade Union machine', it seems that the choice you give the poor guy is one or the other. In other words, whatever he does, you will launch ad hominem attacks on him.
With the government or against it, in your book, the guy can't win.
I've got to say that I've contacted Dave Anderson on a couple of occassions, and I've found that he takes the time and effort to get back to me with useful information.
Now if you were after MPs who just sit around and do nothing, and don't actively attempt to help their constituents, I'd be all with you on that, but Dave's not one of them.
I said on Glyn Davies blog (welsh conservative politician) the other week that what the public want is more real people and less politicians representing 'em.
What I meant by this is that politicians should remember that members of other political parties aren't necessarily "the enemy" and would achieve a lot more if they tried to work together to improve the country, or at least were prepared to acknowledge when someone from a different party was doing a good job.
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