Perhaps unsuprisingly, there is a further uncomplimentary letter about me in this weeks Thetford and Brandon Times. You would have thought that by now after 6 years as a Town Councillor that I would be used to it, but I must confess it still does rather bother me - Councillors still have feelings.
I don't intend to respond via the T&B letters page, I am conscious that there has already been a number of letters election related and I do not think it is healthy to play these things out in the local newspaper. If I respond, somebody else is likely to respond, and so it goes on. I do however want to address some of the points raised, and seeing as Mr Service makes reference to my blog in his letter I am assuming that he reads this, and therefore he may get answers to some of the points raised.
Firstly, I was born in Thetford - in the house my mum and dad still own today at Ash Close, my mum and dad moved there when they were 16 - i.e. when the houses were first built, and strangely enough my grand-dad worked for the company that built most of the houses around the Barnham Cross area. I went to the local schools - Queensway First, then Junior, then Charles Burrell, then Thetford Sixth Form - I worked at Baxters and Sainsbury's whilst completing my education and then worked for Keystone Development Trust managing the Abbey Neighbourhood Centre and then the Benjamin Foundation managing the Meet Up cafe on the Redcastle Estate. I now live at Elm Road. I have a very large family - my mum has 7 brothers, and my dad is the youngest of 13 - although sadly they are all not still alive. Family is important to me, my friends are important to me, Thetford is important to me. Whilst many friends from school moved away to work in London, Norwich and Cambridge I chose to stay - I started doing voluntary work when I was 12, and have continued doing so to this day - (I'm now 27). I gave up working full-time upon being elected to Breckland Council, and upon being elected as Chairman of the Town Councillor Personnel Committee, whilst I receive an 'allowance' from Breckland (approx £700 a month) my Town Council commitments are completely voluntary (expenses are not covered) and I continue to do much voluntary work.
I do all of this because I care for the community that I was born in, and the community that I love. You can therefore perhaps appreciate why I feel that Mr Service's letter is unfair.
Regarding the unflattering comments about my 'supporters'. I do use Twitter, I do use Facebook and I do use blogging - these communication methods are free, and easily accessible. Many of the people that I represent use them, and therefore I should use them. Councillors do not receive any assistance with regards to communication, and I believe that Councillors need to keep their electorate informed. My ward covers 6,000 electors and 3,500 homes - even if I could personally afford to fund literature to go to all these houses, I couldn't deliver to them all on a regular basis. The Thetford and Brandon Times does not even get delivered to the vast majority of the ward that I represent.
Does this stop me door knocking etc as he describes? Absolutely not, as many many voters from the Saxon Ward will attest, I regularly undertake canvassing - but with 3,500 houses for the Saxon Ward, I am yet to canvass every house - particularly as many residents are often not in, and many don't wish to answer the door for fear of it being one of those religious folk that Mr Service mentions, or one of these blasted politicians. I'm not sure if Mr Service has ever tried canvassing, but it is pretty soul destroying work - to hear so many people completely disinterested in the political process, so completely disinterested in the community they live in - for me as a proud Thetfordian, and a community activist - I find this hard to take, but I do it.
His comments about my 'supporters' are unfair. People can choose to support me or not, and he insults their intelligence with his words - take a pop at me by all means, it goes with the job, but leave them out of it. Many of my 'supporters' are my friends, my neighbours, people I have known my whole life, and I am always grateful for their support.
Finally, regarding my own ambitions. I make no secret that I DO NOT want to be an MP. I am involved in community life for the community that I live in. If I were to be an MP, I would need to move and stand for a different seat because it would be highly unlikely that I would get elected for Labour in rural Norfolk - I have no interest in doing that, and I despise career politicians and those that get parachuted into 'safe seats'. Spare a thought for the numerous Conservatives in Norfolk that secretly admit that they stand as Conservatives because they would "otherwise not get elected" - I have zero interest, and zero respect for people of this nature. I have little interest in national affairs - I am 27, what do I know about defence? education? transport? being an MP requires a firm grasp of these issues, I don't have them and I have nothing to offer - at some point in my life my views may change, but I am quite happy doing what I can for the town that I love.
In conclusion....
There's approximately 65 days until the County Council elections - I look forward to continuing to get out there and talk to as many residents as possible, I want to listen to their concerns and opinions, and offer my views where necessary. I want to be able to explain why I think that I would make a good County Councillor, and hopefully people may consider voting for me, if they don't - that's democracy, and I shall continue to support Thetford, albeit in other ways. Chin up John, it may be your door that I knock on ;)
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