Chiswick Hustings Friday 30th April 2010
Ann Keen's performance last Friday night was deplorable, especially as she is the sitting MP.She consistently interrupted Andrew Dakers and Mary Macleod and insisted on asking them questions which was contrary to the format of the debate. Unfortunately, Rev Matt Boyes, the Vicar of Christ Church Turnham Green was clearly inexperienced as a chair of such a meeting and he allowed her to get away with it.She was quite rude both in terms of both what she said and with her body language and rather ill- advisedly, but like Gordon Brown, characterised people who don't agree with her as bigots. Many people were disappointed that no questions were asked about the major issues in the campaign as asked by Gillian Duffy in Rochdale and many ordinary voters up and down the country.There were no questions on:1. The Economy - which is the major issue in this election.2. The National Debt and the Government's Deficit.3. The Wars in Iraq and Afghanistan where so many British service men and women have lost their lives.4. Immigration.5. The Treaty of Lisbon, the euro and Britain's relationship with the EU.6. Education.7. Regional Policy whereby under labour there has been a massive flow of funds from London and the Southe-East towards Labour dominated areas such as Scotland, the North-East and the North-West and marginal constituencies in Wales and the Midlands.8. The NHS (apart from a specific question regarding cancer care which was clearly planted by Labour).9. The Fitness of Gordon Brown to continue as Prime Minister in vie of his recent outburst.Instead we had questions on peripheral although important issues such as fox hunting, cancer care, the marriage of gay people in church which wwere clearly intended to play to Ann Keen's strengths rather than her very many weakneses.Why were Labour supporters- many of them clearly not from Chiswick- allowed to occupy the first three rows of the church ?Why were the other candidates not allowed to speak ?Future hustings events must be more carefully and impartially organised.Ideally they should be held in Chiswick Town Hall and they should be chaired by an impartial and experienced chairman.It has been reported that Rev Matt Boyes, the Vicar of Christ Church,who chaired the meeting, appers on one of Ann Keen's campaign leaflets. This is highly irregular as Church of England clergy are not supposed to play a partisan role in party politics.
David Giles ● 5844d11 Comments