THIS is the third batch of readers’ reports from and about your constituencies, on the choice of candidates you have, which of them you plan to vote for and why – what you think of their chances – and your stance on Brexit.
CASTLE POINT (Essex)
Current MP: Rebecca Harris (Conservative)
Maggie Crosland James writes:
Canvey Island, Essex, comes under Castle Point. No information on whether TBP will have a candidate.
Castle Point is true blue and has been for years. Despite a lack of support for the Conservative party over the past few years I doubt whether that will change.
For the first time I really don’t know how I will vote. I would like to vote TBP but I doubt they will receive sufficient votes to win and will split the Conservative vote. The thought of opening the door to Jeremy Corbyn is terrifying so, at present I’m leaning, albeit reluctantly, towards Conservative.
PRESELI PEMBROKESHIRE
Current MP: Stephen Crabb (Conservative)
Clive de Salis writes: This might seem small but it is so symptomatic of the complete loss of control of government.
On 28 January 2019 I wrote to my MP, Mr Stephen Crabb, complaining that I could no longer pay my tax at the Post Office and I wanted to know why. On 7 March Mr Crabb forwarded to me a letter he had received from Sir Jonathan Thompson, Permanent Secretary to HM Revenue & Customs.
The letter said: ‘On 15 December 2017, our service provider Santander withdrew the facility to pay bills at the Post Office. We had no influence on this decision or the timing of the withdrawal.’
So the government’s civil service had the stupidity to actually say
‘We had no influence on this decision or the timing of the
withdrawal.’
I am not usually so clear and abrupt but I was so incensed that I
wrote back to Mr Crabb: ‘As a statement, the concept that you had NO influence over the decision is either completely untrue or total, absolute lunacy.
‘YOU ARE THE GOVERNMENT – NOT SANTANDER. The reality of what the HMRC letter says is that Santander is now dictating government policy because the government cannot be bothered any more. Yet Santander have no mandate to decide government policy for you!
‘You as a government had no mandate whatsoever to prevent payment of anything as basic as tax at a Post Office.’
BATH
Current MP: Vera Hobhouse (Lib Dem)
NORTH EAST SOMERSET
Current MP: Jacob Rees-Mogg (Conservative)
Ruth Griffiths writes: It is always a straight fight between LibDems and Conservatives in Bath. It voted remain in the referendum and currently has a LibDem MP, so a tactical vote for the Conservatives is the only option, although I think Vera Hobhouse (LD) will be returned. In N E Somerset it has always been between Labour and Conservatives, although the LDs have vowed to take Jacob Rees-Mogg’s seat from him. N E Somerset voted ‘leave’ in the referendum. JRM is always targeted by the local press and vilified in comments about him. I am an ex B&NES councillor, so have a pretty good knowledge of the political scene here, but do not know how TBP will affect the vote in N E Somerset.)
Send your reports (no more than 250 words) to info@conservativewoman.co.uk, with ‘Election watch’ in the subject line.
Give your own name or your TCW commenter name and don’t forget to name your constituency and your MP in the last Parliament. We hope readers will write from all 650 constituencies. We will publish as many as we can!
