Now as those of you who follow my blog might know, Mike Freer has hijacked the Finchley Conservatives website and turned it into his own personal site. Unlike other association sites such as Chipping Barnet, the history of the constituency is hardly mentioned. This is rather surprising as the most successful Conservative of modern times, Lady Margaret Thatcher, was the MP for many years. She warrants one rather grammatically poor sentence.
Just out of interest, I decided to check out what was happening in the seat where Mike Freer was PPC at the last election. They've selected Dr Rachel Joyce as their PPC. Like Mike Freer she has a site for her candidacy and a blog. There are a few big differences. Let's look at her blog first. Now I don't agree with Rachel on some of the stuff she writes. I left a comment telling her so. Unlike Mike, she posted my comments and gave me a completely reasonable response. Not only that but her blog is a freebee from Blogspot, unlike Freer's leader Listens site, which we pay for. She's also rather busy, with over 20 posts since Mike's last effort on 5th March. Seems like old Lazybones Mike could learn something here.
Now lets look at her "Official" website. If you look at Mike Freer's "News" you get "No items found". Rachel Joyce has letters to the press, practical advice for home owners, News about the police. On local campaigns Joyce has 6 items with pictures of her out on the streets. Real local campaigns for hospitals, transport and the environment, all strongly local. Mike has four soggily rehashed National campaigns with no evidence of any work at all. Most interestingly, rather than trying to hijack the local association, the website bears her name.
In response to previous criticisms of the Finchley Conservatives site, Mike said (through a spokesman of the FOF's) that it was done like this because it is a marginal. He said Chipping Barnet could have a normal constituency site because it was a safe seat? Looking at Dr Rachel Joyce's site, it is clear to me why they didn't ask Mike back and picked her instead.
Don't get me wrong, I hope they both lose, but ask yourself this. Which of these two appears :-
a) More hard working
b) More civil
c) More intelligent
d) Less egotistical
If I was Mike I'd get on to Rachel and ask for some help sorting my website out. That will do him far more good than making offensive podcasts.
3 comments:
Blimey Rog we've got our work cut out trying to beat her as it is - u give her a write-up like that it'll cost us votes!! Esp as she's too left wing to really be a Tory!! Lets herself down on the social services side though - the Tories running Harrow Council tried to downgrade Adult Social Services to critical care only, and were only stopped by a judicial review. Our local authority would have been one of only 7 in the whole country downgraded to that...disgraceful.
PCS Will
Will,
Saying she's better than Mike Freer is not a ringing endorsement. If her best argument for being elected is that she's better than Freer, you've nothing to worry about.
I hardly think she'll be saying "I'm less rubbish than Freer so vote for me".
If she sticks "Endorsed by Rog T" on her site, she won't exactly be flavour of the month. In Barnet, my endorsement is the kiss of death for Tories.
If I were you I'd take the stance that you've got a decent MP. Trust his track record.
Indeed!
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