Letter to the paper

This is a first for me. Three blogs on the same day. However I was moved to write a letter to my local paper, the Morecambe Visitor. Here it is...

I know that there is a serious side to the headline in The Visitor (28^th April) “MBIs expel their ex-leader” but I was amused that you could be expelled by independents. Can Evelyn Archer stand as an independent in the next local elections? How can anyone stop her? The irony is that the independents were elected because of their leaflets opposing party politics at a time when party politicians were not popular. They are now seen for what they are, a political party, and chickens will come home to roost.

The MBI article would have been my main motivation in writing to The Visitor but I am much more concerned about political coverage. The reporting on the general election has been very good in the Visitor and in the Guardian but I like to hear what my candidates have to say in person. I like hustings and we are due to have one in Morecambe on Sunday. Unfortunately Geraldine Smith is not so obliging. She will not be at Sunday’s public meeting because she has better things to do. So how am I to learn about her deeper political commitments? What is better than advertising your policies to a packed meeting? I can only assume that Geraldine is not keen on advertising her policies. I think that it is an affront to the voters of Morecambe and an affront to democracy.

Yours faithfully,

Michael Gradwell