Un-be-lievable!

I am seriously concerned about the lack of openness in today's politicians. Maybe it has always been so. I can't tell, I'm too young. It seems to be totally acceptable and even expected that party representatives are opaque, disingenuous, even secretive - and still they expect us to pay attention to their utterances. And vote for them, if we can be persuaded.

I am not persuaded and I really do believe it is time to change things. NOW!

In my constituency there are no Independent candidates which means that anyone who thinks before he/she votes must choose between Con/Lab/LibDem/UKIP/Green, or else spoil the ballot form just to record a discernable objection - otherwise known as the 'none-of-the-above-syndrome. Choosing NOT to vote isn't an option because it is the equivalent of the careless, off-hand, immature response: 'Whatever!' Or, as so many people seem to believe, they must choose between Theresa May/Jeremy Corbyn/Tim Farron/ Paul Nuttall/Caroline Lucas. But none of those people are standing in my constituency so I can't vote for one of them, even if I wanted to! Think about it.

Also in my constituency it seems that no hustings have been planned. I checked twice with the reporter's desk at our local paper. On each occasion they said they would look into it but I've heard nothing from them. Separately, A friend and I wrote to the paper with different questions to put to the four masqueraders but thus far, the paper hasn't published our letters. My friend also pointed out that ANY applicant for ANY job would expect to be interviewed, wouldn't they? But apparently not if you apply for a £74,000-a-year job, plus expenses, as a party representative in Parliament. Of course, all have passed muster in front of Party inquisitors. After all, that's how they got on the approved list in the first place, by proving they are worthy of party sponsorship. It seems that constituents haven't the same privilege.

I've received party literature in my letterbox from from three PPCs but the fourth is not to be seen anywhere. So I thought I should e-mail the candidates, and make them aware that all four were receiving an identical enquiry from me. The Labour PPC's email address created an automatic PC-generated response, promising follow up. The Man from U.K.I.P. has spoken to me. Of Greens and Conservatives, there are no indications that they exist although the Green PPC's name is well known in the constituency, as is the Con-man, of course.

That left me wondering about the person who has been the party representative for this constituency during two parliaments, and who now would like his job back, please. I speak, of course, of the Conservative PPC. I decideed that the only sure way of putting my question to him was to (a) write it, and (b) hand deliver it. So I wrote a letter.

Problem. I don't know where he lives. Most MPs keep their cards close to their chest about where they live. Contact via the Parliamentary office, please, while they are MPs but where do we go when they became plain and ordinary PPCs? Ah! Conservative Party Constituency office, of course. I have the address for that but no real idea of where it is. Hail to the sat-nav.

(Interesting to note at this point that when we write to them we provide them usually with our own address, phone number and email. Thus, they know where we are but they won't extend the same courtesy. If you don't provide an address they won't talk to you, either).

When the sat-nav told me 'destination on the right' I looked up to an anonymous office block. A passing postman confirmed we really were standing outside the place I was looking for, so I asked at reception, as you do.

"Yes," said bright receptionist, "the Conservatives rent an office here but nobody is in at present. (Time 11.30 a.m. ten days before the election. My interpretation: They must be out canvassing, I suppose). She also thought there was no signage because, possibly, the landlord didn't want to advertise them. Who knows?

"May I leave a lettter for (x xx x) named PPC?"
"Of course you may. I have a draw full of letters for him" (opening the draw to show me as she spoke) and placed my letter on top of the pile.

The question I asked in my letter?

In the absence of hustings . . .

I am quite astonished to observe that, to my knowledge, no public hustings have been organised prior to the General Election. Instead, media glare is solely on the various party leaders, to the detriment of local candidates. To my mind this is a perversion of the democratic process. Nevertheless, I would like to know your thoughts on the following:

"Military Unification has been on the EU policy agenda for decades. As far back as June 1984 European Commission President Jacque Delors told a summit of heads of government that the first and foremost of his three big deals for re-launching European political integration is 'military union', the others being currency union and the abolition of member states' vetoes. GIVEN THAT the people have empowered government to remove us from EU, would you consider further military union to be an act of treason and a breach of the faith entrusted to government?"

Sincerely


(My breath is bated as I await a reply.)

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IN CONCLUSION

I APPEAL TO YOU to use your vote wisely. I think we are about to be stitched up

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