Kohima,
Ms Snelgrove does not want to debate or have an open conversation with anyone but overt supporters. She demonstrated this during our attempts to engage with her over the ID debate. Remember, she dismissed TS at the time as a 'hotbed of right wing activists' (ie. people who had the temerity to question!) and refused to engage further. She went on to write pro-forma replies to reasonable written questions asked of her by concerned constituents, many of who were, at that time, politically unaligned. When pressed to clarify and expand her answers, she dismissed further enquiry. She even turned up at a public debate on the issue and refused to participate.
She demonstrably paid little attention to the interests, desires or concerns of her electorate, behaving as people said at the time, more alike Parliament's representative in Swindon than Swindon's representative in Parliament.
Her most meaningful dabblings in local politics were meddlings with things like mini-motos, where she bizarrely started calling for spurious new legislation to tackle this 'modern menace' (as if any extra were needed when they were already un-taxed, uninsured, un MOT'd and were being ridden on pavements by frequently drunken or stoned 15 year olds without crash helmets or driving licenses!)
Apart from that, I remember her for her stammering and laboured speech to a nigh empty house of commons on WiFi - unfortunately an engagement which appeared to have very much more to do with the forthcoming election and her rather late realisation that she'd actually pissed a lot of people off for largely ignoring the town whilst getting on with her party 'career', than it did addressing the failings of the politBluhro (at least her party loyalty earned her an 'Order of The Brown-Nose from Private Eye though!).
Anne has many skills - and I know latterly did start meeting with the community, but overall, being a good
local MP isn't one of them - her interests appear to lie elsewhere. Just look at her voting record.
It would be a travesty if she is put up again when the party has been capable of producing previous candidates with a real passion for the town and its people. I'd cite Julia Drown was a good example of that - a conviction politician. Tbh, even I would seriously consider voting for Julia if ever she re-stood, even though I have not voted Labour previously. Anne on the other hand is definitely a career politician - as reflected in her selective answering of my, your and innumerable other 'inconvenient' questions asked by constituents.
I don't expect a local politician to agree with me - but I expect to be treated with a modicum of respect. When the issue is important I would also expect them to be prepared to defend their party policy and to show that it was arrived at with some intellectual and moral integrity and rigour. I hope many involved in the ID debate remember how we were dismissed, ignored or patronised before they risk voting for her.
If you are not contented with how people run their blogs, please feel free to start your own blog.
Steve - I pretty much disagree with every view Kohima posts - BUT he is (as far as I am aware) an
ordinary member of the local community and electorate. Anne on the other hand is a
politician and has claimed the honour of representing Kohima and his town in Parliament - and will be trying to convince him along with the rest of us to vote for her at the next election. He is worthy of her attention and at least modicum of respect. One might have imagined that she would have welcomed the opportunity to answer his questions with a clear rebuttle of his (presumed) criticism... A blog invites engagement - especially when you provide the tools to do it. Its part of her job - NOT Kohimas, so I'm more than a little surprised at your response.
