Scarborough Evening News Viewpoint Letter

Lawrie Quinn MP 220 Portcullis House London SW1A 0AA Tel: 020 7219 5937 Fax: 020 7219 2477 www.lawrie-quinn.org.uk 05 March 2003 Dear Gavin Scarborough Evening News Viewpoint Letter Tuesday 4th March 2003 I am sorry to read of your disappointment with my performance as the Member of Parliament for Scarborough and Whitby especially since you attempt to remind me of my responsibilities to listen to my constituents. My duty is indeed to listen and I hope that the vast majority of local people feel that my work for this community has had this at the very foundation of my work for them. As most regular readers of the SEN will know my mother-in-law, Megan passed away last week and yesterday was the day of her funeral....I make no apologies for being with my family yesterday nor do I feel that my absence from either the Town Hall or Westminster will have concerned anyone other than the narrow self-interested agenda you hope to pursue through your letter in the Viewpoint column. It is well known in Scarborough that you expect to be the next Tory Member of Parliament for Scarborough and Whitby and you start off your spring campaign to persuade local Conservative Party members by attacking the sitting local Labour MP with characteristic style and arrogance many would expect to see from that classic, but fictional, character Alan B'stard. The classical nasty style so clearly and publicly rejected by your Party Chairman, Theresa May MP last autumn. Clearly the new Tory campaign war book still has the chapter on "kick 'em when they're down...with luck they won't defend themselves". That felt normal from 1979 until 1997, but I am personally shocked and expect an apology for the misrepresentation and bad personal judgement you display in the published letter. Politics can be a rough game but I suggest you learn from your senior party colleagues both locally and nationally before you put pen to paper again. I hope you also have the good grace to apologise to my wife, Ann who is extremely upset by your letter and urged me to write to you. For the record, I wrote to the Chief Executive of Scarborough Council apologising...yes apologising ....for not being able to attend the full Council Meeting at the Town Hall on Monday 3rd March. I further suggested that the Councillors organise a special meeting on a day when I could guarantee my attendance. Yes I accept my Parliamentary duties seriously.....look at last week's SEN to see just how seriously even though my family probably deserved 100% throughout last week. Secondly, I have forwarded the comments and lobbying of Scarborough Borough Councillors, North Yorkshire County Councillors and the North Yorkshire Police Authority members to appropriate Ministers. I am also on record stating that it was regrettable that that written representations did not persuade Whitehall of the merits of a face to face meeting. Thirdly, I do not recall either above inflation central government Grant settlements from past Tory administrations, nor successful representations from our community during the Poll Tax years when I was a County Councillor at County Hall. Certainly the background of the 18 years and the threat of 20% cuts across the board from an incoming Tory Prime Minister doubtlessly supported by Messr. Williamson MP would slash the over 5% increases announced recently by this government. I also would remind you I stood on a platform of investment in the public services locally whereas your candidate made clear the tax cutting agenda so clearly rejected in 2001. Fourthly, the Editor has had the good common sense to commission an article from Nick Raynsford MP, the Minister for Local Government, for a future edition of the SEN and the impact of him listening to the local Member of Parliament and my lobbying over many months will be very apparent. Finally, I believe it is every politician's job to listen a bit more to local communities. It would be a real start if the Councillors in the Town Hall reconsidered my numerous invitations to meet with concerned local people and their technical advisers regarding the Sea Wall or even thought about organising a Special Meeting with the local Members of Parliament open to the public to discuss their spending plans and how local peoples priorities for higher quality services can be delivered within a climate of respect for the customer or tax-payer. I am delighted to accept fully the responsibility for senior citizen and disabled persons travel subsidies, for improved investment in crime prevention and law & order, the highest levels of capital investment in the history of the Borough, not to mention the impact that agencies like Sure Start, On Track and Yorkshire Forward make to making the Yorkshire Coast a better place to live. Are you really urging that Scarborough's budget should be cut to that of Ryedale ? I am copying this letter to the Editor of the SEN by fax before I place it in the envelope. I look forward to your letter of apology and hope that you will seek wiser counsel from the many serious and honourable Conservatives I have had the opportunity to work with for the whole community over these passed six years. For good measure I will also send a copy tomorrow morning to the Chairman of the Conservative Party at Smith Square to ask her if she supports the manner in which you appear to drag her party into the gutter of personal attacks the type of which I have never experienced in over quarter a century of political activity. I look forward to your response and hope to see it published in the SEN in due course. Yours sincerely Lawrie Quinn MP Scarborough & Whitby