Play the ball not the man
Just recently my Tory opponent Amber Rudd asked me to sign a campaign pledge to keep the election free of personal attacks.
In my reply I told her I have always played politics that way and local people know that. There is no need for such a pledge, although as some of the other candidates have only just moved to the area (specifically to stand for Parliament) perhaps they feel a greater urge to make a show of their intentions.
However, I did use my reply to suggest she might use her influence with David Cameron to persuade him to stop relying on personal attacks.
As DC would say, "We can't go on like this".
With perhaps two or three months until polling day we must ask the Tories to 'play the ball, not the man.' The Tories, and David Cameron in particular, have been guilty of this on every occasion. They constantly attack Gordon Brown on personality not policy. Their attacks cause damage without evidence. That is how the Tories have been conducting themselves.
Every Wednesday I sit in the House of Commons for PMQs. And every Wednesday I see Gordon Brown attacked not on policy but always personality. Perhaps it's because they don't have policies of their own?
Yet again this week we have seen the Tories whipping up the 'bullying' story sparked by Andrew Rawnsley's book. In fact the book only contained two specific allegations; that he swore at senior Foreign Office aide Stewart Wood and that the Cabinet Secretary Gus O'Donnell intervened over Brown's behaviour towards staff. Both have come out and categorically said no such thing happened. Why are the Tories so keen to seize on a personal issue unsupported by evidence other than a journalist's book seemingly based on little more than fifth hand accounts and a bit of creative writing? Isn't this precisely the kind of thing they want to avoid in their brave new world where politics is free of sleaze and slander?
I am looking forward to the coming campaign. I will talk about policy and I will talk about myself where it is relevant. For example I believe my local ties and experience of the area make a huge contribution to my ability to do the job and differentiate me from my Tory and Lib Dem opponents. I will not make personal attacks on integrity unless there is clear evidence to the contrary and I hope the other candidates do the same.
To keep up to date on what I'm doing stop by my website www.michaelfoster.org.uk.
You can also receive a monthly update on my activities by sending an email to mp@1066.net with 'MPFree' in the subject line.
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Weather for Hastings
Sunday 12 February 2012
Today
Light rain
Temperature: 2 C to 5 C
Wind Speed: 10 mph
Wind direction: North west
Tomorrow
Cloudy
Temperature: 3 C to 6 C
Wind Speed: 16 mph
Wind direction: North west
