Crewe Reacts Badly to the Hereditary Selection

The selection of Tamsin Dunwoody has not been met with wholesale acclaim if the comments on THIS article from the Crewe & Nantwich Guardian are anything to go by. Here is a selection...

I am disgusted. Family and party cynicism and collusion in expediting the selection and election process before the funeral. Parachuting in a dynastic candiate with no connection to the area.
If the Tories did it they would be vilified. This represents everyting that the Labour Party is supposed to be against.

If her name had been anything other than Dunwoody she would not have had a chance. I do not see how that represents Labour's finest traditions.

I don't care who they select, I've had enough of tax and spend Labour.

Labour's carpet-bagger, shipped in from Pembroke where she was rejected. Not even the respect for her own mother to wait until she's in the ground before going on the stump. Shameful.

This is a cynical stunt and an insult to the intelligence of the electorate. What has happened to Labour when your surname counts for so much? I feel totally let down by this selection and will not be voting for Ms. Dunwoody-Kneafsey.

So - we are going to get a woman born in Devon, Educated in Kent and having represented Wales. So much for someone who understands the problems in Crewe.

What a disgrace! - if the Tories had done this we would be screaming abuse at them. How can the Labour Party possibly complain about the inequality of a hereditary Monarchy and then effectively establish the same rules for this 'fig leaf' of a selection procedure. Shame on you, C&N Labour Party, shame on you...

The labour party are in a mess at the moment, and because of this they feel the only way they will win the by-election is if they parachute Tamsin in to get a sympathy vote. RIP Gwyneth.

It seems to me that the Conservatives should be very careful not fight an aggressive campaign here. They don't need to launch attacks on the Labour Candidate. They need to be the voice of sweet reason and play up their candidate's local record - but then go for Gordon Brown's throat on the 10p tax debacle and other issues. And this is exactly what Edward Timpson seems to be doing. He's just released this rather interesting letter to the press...

Dear Ms Dunwoody

Congratulations on becoming the Labour Party candidate for the Crewe and Nantwich by-election, albeit in the sad circumstances of your mother’s passing away. She was a formidable lady and an excellent constituency MP; she will be missed.

As the Conservative candidate for Crewe and Nantwich, I am looking forward to the sort of frank and honest campaign that Gwyneth would have been proud of.

So it is in that spirit that I am writing to you to ask your views on a range of important issues. In the interests of fairness, I am very happy to make my views clear on each of them.

Do you support the abolition of the 10p tax rate?

I think it’s completely unacceptable to increase taxes on the lowest paid workers in the country. People who do the right thing, by going out to work to earn their keep, should be rewarded, not punished. By increasing taxes on the poorest, Gordon Brown has shown he has no idea what it’s like to live on a low income.

Do you support the Government’s national identity scheme?

I oppose ID cards because they wouldn’t make anyone safer. It would be an expensive project and the money would be better spent on frontline services.

Do you agree that – whatever Gordon Brown says – violent crime and anti-social behaviour is rising locally?

Violent crime has almost trebled in the local area and as the Chief Constable says: “every night of the week Cheshire officers and our community support officers are engaged in a constant battle against anti-social behaviour and alcohol-induced violence”.

Do you believe that the pre-charge detention period should be extended in terrorism cases?

I do not believe that the Government has made the case for extending the pre-charge detention period beyond 28 days. Instead, they should rely on using intercept evidence in court and post-charge questioning.

Do you think there should be a referendum on the renamed European Constitution?

I firmly believe that Gordon Brown broke his manifesto promise to hold a referendum on the European Constitution because he thought he would lose. The British people deserve the referendum they were promised.

Do you believe that the net level of immigration should be reduced?

I believe that this Government has failed to give local public services the support they need to cope with a rising population. As a result, there is pressure on the local council budget, on housing, on the NHS and on local schools. So we need to plan properly for increases in population, and reduce the overall level of net immigration.

Do you support the suspension of the Government’s post office closure programme?

I think the post office closure programme needs to be suspended immediately. There is nothing inevitable about the closure of local services like post offices, small shops and pubs. The Government and local politicians need to do all they can to keep these important services open.

I would be grateful if you could reply to these important questions as soon as possible. It is extremely important for the people of Crewe and Nantwich to know what sort of choice they face.

Given the public interest in these matters, I am releasing a copy of this letter to the media.

Yours sincerely

Edward Timpson
Conservative Parliamentary Candidate for Crewe and Nantwich