Lib Dem hypocrisy over incineration - yet more reasons why you wouldn't vote for Sue Doughty.

Back in 2002, when the Lib Dems were still trumpeting their win in Guildford in the 2001 General Election, an event that they attributed to the stance they took against a proposed incinerator. An interesting article appeared on the Greenpeace website which actually revealed the hidden depths of hypocrisy of the Liberal Democrats.

The best quote is here: Stephen Tindale, Executive Director of Greenpeace, said:"The Liberal Democrats don't seem to have any principles when it comes to waste management and will say anything they think gains them electoral advantage. Their call for a moratorium on incineration is a hollow sham. It's simply unacceptable for the Lib Dems to lecture other political parties on the environment and then fail to apply those principles in places which they actually control."

The charming Mr Doughty

Meet David Orchard. You might not know it, but he is actually Mr Sue Doughty. Following the publication of this letter (right + orange text below) in the Surrey Advertiser (1 June 2007), one wonders whether Mr Orchard was appearing purely as a concerned resident of Guildford or whether he might have been taking the chance to take a pot shot at Anne Milton MP?

The letter raises another serious question about his opinion on what MPs are meant to be there for. Yes they are meant to represent their local constituency and fight issues such as the Royal Surrey, which everyone knows Anne Milton has been doing. But this does not exclude MPs from talking about important national and international issues, which is another reason why they are in parliament. Perhaps Mr Orchard thinks it is inappropriate for MPs to talk about things like Iraq and events in Baghdad, after all its a very long way from Guildford?

MP’s questions are on the wrong track

I see that our MP , Anne Milton, is recorded in Hansard on May 24 as asking urgent Parliamentary questions about the redevelopment of Liverpool Lime Street mainline station, about which there is actually, for once in the history of urban redevelopment, no problem. Isn't this a bit off her patch”, and also a bit ill-timed as there was no problem there to start off with? Surely her concerns should be closer to her constituency issues, not least the Royal Surrey A&E, St Thomas of Canterbury school playing fields or — on redevelopment issues - the Civic?
Or is It that our MP wants to do a “chicken run” from Guildford, knowing that she might lose (on the new boundaries) at the next general election, and has decided to enter the current. Liverpool “Tory-free zone” by becoming selected as Tory candidate for the renowned constituency of Liverpool Exchange (home for many years to Bessie Braddock MP) where Lime Station is situated? As a local elector who was born in Liverpool and also who now lives in Shalford, I think we should be told. If the answer is as I fear, I must let my Liverpool friends know straight away so that they may expect the Tory onslaught aid injection of electoral resources that will deluge their doorsteps with “Talk of the Town” literature showing Anne cooking Scouse stew for her helpers?
DAVID ORCHARD

Stonebridge Wharf,

Shalford

A further example of why you wouldn't vote for Sue Doughty

Below is an extract from Hansard, which again demonstrates Sue Doughty's finely tuned representational skills:

Sue Doughty (Guildford): The initiatives that the Minister describes are all very welcome, but the number of women on public bodies has increased by only 2.7 per cent. since Labour came to power. We may compare that with other countries, such as Iraq. In the United Kingdom in 2001, the percentage was 34 per cent., but Iraq surpassed that figure in 1990. By 1998, the figure for women in the public sector was 40 per cent. The Government have set a target that women should hold 45 per cent. to 50 per cent. of the public appointments made by Departments by the end of 2005. In the same briefing, however—

Mr. Speaker: Order. I do not like to interrupt the hon. Lady, but she is supposed to be asking a supplementary question.

Ms Hewitt: I think that I have got the gist of the question, although I must say that I would not have chosen Iraq as my exemplar of equal opportunities. A regime that employs professional rapists in its military hardly seems to me to be an exemplar that any hon. Member would wish to quote.

Why you wouldn't vote for Sue Doughty

Following the local elections, it time for Guildford Lib Dems to turn themselves to national politics and their desired aim of winning back Guildford. Of course it would help their cause, if they had a better candidate.

I recently found this lovely sketch by Quentin Letts which reminds us of one of Ms Doughty's not so stunning parliamentary performances.

As the text is too small to read, I thought I'd include this little extract:

Sue Doughty, a Lib Dem frontbencher, edged to her feet and started to speak, or so I believe. She was so terrified that it was hard to be sure any words were emerging. MS DOUGHTY, whose surname is in itself a work of beautiful satire, blinked and gulped. She looks like a Womble. Not a very brave one. A few Tory men started to find amusement. ‘Yes!’ Ms Doughty finally said. The Tories loved it. ‘Yes!’ they all cried. ‘Yes!’ Hoots of laughter. ‘Leave ‘er alone!’ growled Nottingham North’s Graham Allen, a respected Labour veteran. Ms Doughty shot him a glance of pathetic gratitude. She warbled some meaningless words and sat down, looking faintly sick. ‘Well done!’ said Nottingham’s Sir Lancelot. But even he was by now finding it a challenge to keep a straight face.

More to follow, watch this space.

Guildford Lib Dems - selective with the truth?

The Lib Dems seem inherently programmed to ignore the truth, perhaps this is the result of having a campaign manual that says:

‘Be wicked, act shamelessly, stir endlessly’ (p.21)
‘Don't be afraid to exaggerate. For example, responses to surveys or petitions are always "massive". If a council is doing something badly, public expressions are always of "outrage".’ (p.23)
‘Positive campaigning will NOT be enough to win control of the council’

So now we turn to their summary of last week's local election results in Guildford. The news item on their website says,"The Liberal Democrats' success in last week's elections to Guildford Borough Council, when they made a net gain of two seats, has strengthened their resolve to hold the ruling Conservative group to account on the waste of tax-payers' money and the fight against climate change. The Conservatives made a net gain of just one, taking the seat formerly held by an Independent. The Lib Dems took both Stoke seats from Labour with convincing majorities, and gained two seats from the Conservatives in Onslow and Burpham. The Lib Dems missed taking the third seat in Holy Trinity by just 27 votes."

What they didn't mention is that they also lost two seats in Merrow and Christchurch to the Conservatives. But I guess its more fun to forget those and celebrate easy wins agains a very weakened Guildford Labour Party which is polling under 10% in most wards.

And now for a graph (in the style of Lib Dems of course).

Guildford Lib Dems decapitated - bring out the golden parachute

Well the Guildford election results are now in and the big story of the night is the defeat of Vivienne Johnson (Lib Dem) by a University of Surrey politics student, Matt Furniss, who was elected for the Conservatives. There is an excellent article on the BBC website.

The problem Guildford Lib Dems now face is that they have lost almost all of their half effective Councillors. Whilst Fiona White (their leader for now) remains and 3 jobs Sarah Di Caprio (PPC for SW Surrey, Surrey County Councillor and now Borough Councillor) was newly elected, it is a fairly well known fact that Cllr Johnson used to pull many of the strings of the Lib Dems at Guildford Borough Council.

The question now is can they do without her? Perhaps we might soon see one of their lesser, but elected, figures step aside to allow Mrs Johnson to be parachuted in to a safe Lib Dem seat.

Is this a Lib Dem psychic prediction?

Having just been handed a copy of a last minute Lib Dem leaflet, one wonders if the Lib Dems are making a prediction. Notice the numbers by the Lib Dem Candidate's names.

This leaflet is from Shalford, in that ward there are 2 Conservatives, 1 Independent, 2 Labour and 2 Lib Dems.

On current and past form Labour will come last. What about the Independent, could they sneak ahead of Mr Doughty (I mean Orchard) and Mr Thompson. If that were the case then positions 4th and 5th are probably correct. Let wait and see what happens when the results are called.