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AIBU?

To feel the Isle of Wight MP let down his constituents yesterday during PMQ

15 replies

Dexterwasright · 17/09/2015 10:21

The IW has some very real problems: a low wage economy held back by the extortionate ferry fares; a poor education system; a crisis in care for the elderly and the critical likelihood that the Islandline train service will be shut due to a recent decision by the Conservative minister. So when the local Tory MP gets a chance to raise an issue in one of the most widely watched PMQ in recent years you hope that he will use it to address a significant concern of his constituents. No he decides to ask about a tiger and gives DC a chance waffle away.

The island needs real help at the moment and Andrew Turner decided a tiger that was lonely was the issue to raise. This is not even an issue for the local newspaper. They are leading on the likelihood of the train line closing and the lack of action by the MP. What about the thousands on lonely, elderly people on the island who are being left without care? The children who are stuck in failing schools and an infrastructure that is inadequate for the 21st century?

Or he could have spoken about the refugee crisis, the economy, the risk from terrorist etc etc.

AIBU to feel he let the IW down by his question and almost perpetuated it's image as a quirky, backward place?

OP posts:
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Dexterwasright · 17/09/2015 19:32

Well Mr Turner stated he was not renting his flat to another parliamentarian, no, it turned out it was the man's wife! The question probably was preset but why isn't he asking questions about serious issues that impact on one of the most deprived areas of the south? The deprivation on the IW is acute (average salary about £17000) but he has no interest in bettering it. This is not party politics, it is just politics.

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queenrollo · 17/09/2015 16:46

ooo not near me then. Obviously in the ultra-safe Tory seats it's just rife...

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JeffreysMummyIsCross · 17/09/2015 16:15

Queenrollo - am in North Oxon. Still, at least I'm not over the boundary in the next village which has the awful tory who claimed £20k for heating his stables. An accident, apparently - you can see how it's easily done, can't you Hmm

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Egosumquisum · 17/09/2015 13:26

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

queenrollo · 17/09/2015 12:52

JeffreysMummy I wonder if you live near me? That sounds like the Constituency next to mine. Tory safe seat here too and fresh faced MP in the job. Mine at least has been putting forward sensible questions and debate.

OP YANBU. I have family on the Island, and so am aware of all the issues you have raised in your post. All of them far more important. Get the feeling it was a deliberate ploy to try and keep control of PMQ's when they weren't sure how the new format was going to go.

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mummytime · 17/09/2015 12:37

If there is something important enough to local people - even safe seats can be lost.

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Mistigri · 17/09/2015 10:57

Perfectly reasonable to raise it here. You could even add a link to your email to your MP, as evidence that normal people find it pretty reprehensible for an MP to squeal "look! squirrel!" when their constituents have genuine concerns.

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TheCountessofFitzdotterel · 17/09/2015 10:44

Wow, just watched it. Way to make Jeremy Corbyn look good by comparison!

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JeffreysMummyIsCross · 17/09/2015 10:41

This is the trouble with our electoral system. My constituency is ultra-safe tory, and we have a new MP who is a to-the-manor-born type with a father in the House of Lords. It's already quite clear that she is only interested in following her own interests rather than representing the views of her constituents. But the seat is hers for as long as she wants it.

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Dexterwasright · 17/09/2015 10:34

I have written to him on this and other issues. However he is not very active at anything. I have also been at public meetings he has failed to appear at. He is not a credit to the 40% of islanders who re-elected him.

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mummytime · 17/09/2015 10:29

Well when his majority is threatened he will learn his lesson.

I live in what you might think would be a Tory safe seat, but when a Tory MP ignored the issue that local people felt really threatened by - he lost his seat. Since then we've had MPs who known that forgetting local concerns will get them booted out.

So maybe you should make sure the press picks up on his lack of concern.

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jonicomelately · 17/09/2015 10:28

The OP is perfectly entitled to air her views on here thenewbroom Nobody should be told what they can and can't talk about on her Hmm For all you know she may have already contacted the MP in question.

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thenewbroom · 17/09/2015 10:26

You should write to him with these points rather than start an AIBU thread though.

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Chillyegg · 17/09/2015 10:25

Yanbu
Waste of a question!

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jonicomelately · 17/09/2015 10:23

It was embarrassing.
YANBU

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