11:47am Thursday 25th March 2010
I WRITE as Conservative parliamentary candidate for Hereford and South Herefordshire to appeal for clean, constructive campaigning in this coming election, and to set the record straight on a number of false public statements made by one of the other candidates.
Almost exactly two years ago I wrote to this newspaper to correct various claims made about me by Sarah Carr, the Liberal Democrat candidate. I called publicly at that time for all political candidates to adopt the following principles, as I have done: 1. Not to make untrue or misleading statements in campaign literature, and to correct them quickly with apologies if discovered; 2. Not to make personal attacks on other candidates; 3. To campaign on the issues, with an emphasis on new ideas, constructive policies and workable solutions to local economic and social problems.
There should be no place for dirty campaigning, here or anywhere.
This county needs leadership, ideas and real collective effort, not political smear tactics. When the time comes, local people are perfectly capable of making up their own minds – on the facts – as to which of the various candidates is best qualified by experience, achievement, energy or local commitment to represent them in Parliament.
The Labour candidate, Philippa Roberts, has stated that she broadly supports these principles. By contrast, Ms Carr has continued to make false and misleading claims about me, and about herself.
For the record: I went into politics after the 2005 election, having worked for 20 years in the private sector, running a charity and teaching at a university. Yes, I did work for Barclays from 1992-97, mainly in eastern Europe and in developing countries.
But this and my other work has given me direct personal experience in commerce, education and the real world – experience which I have put to good use as a candidate for the people of this county, and will do so still more if elected.
Furthermore, I live on Broomy Hill in Hereford and use virtually all our local public services. Far from toeing the party line, I have a reputation for independent thought and have recently published a pamphlet entitled Churchill's Legacy, which specifically disagrees with a key part of Conservative policy on civil liberties.
As for Ms Carr, it is a matter of public fact that she was not born or brought up in Herefordshire, and has only lived in the city since April or May 2007. She is thus not, as I am not, a local candidate.
Moreover, in place of real experience her CV suggests that she has herself never worked outside politics or the lobbying industry.
Now more than ever, the people of this county and this country need strong leadership and political campaigning that informs debate, deals with the issues that affect us all and sets out clear policies in order that the electorate can make a proper choice based on those issues and policies. A negative campaign undermines this, detracts from the real issues and insults local people.
I now appeal to Ms Carr again, to sign up to the principles set out above so we can have a free and fair election on the issues, and the clean campaign which this county deserves.
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