Lib Dem angst and no Tory thanks

Letter to the Observer:

Dear Sir

Andrew Rawnsley merely touched on the whips and scorns being suffered by the Lib Dems, in their time share government of Tory outrageous fortune. - David Cameron really should be sharing Nick Clegg's pain (Comment last week).

However what many fail to grasp, including some on its right wing, is that Conservative party aims could not have been better achieved if they had won the last General Election outright.

The party is back in government after a decade in the political wilderness; behind the facade of the Big Society, it is shrinking the state beyond measure and, to cap it all, Cameron & Osbourne inc. only need stand by and watch as Clegg, Cable & co. are hung out to suffer the full blast of the public's hairdryer treatment.

With their programme of cuts being borne by many essential services, as well as the poorer and most vulnerable members of our society, the Tories must be laughing every which way into bank boardrooms.

Yours sincerely

Ashley Gunstock

Top Greens

Congratulations to the top 25 green blogs as voted by readers in the Total Politics Poll for 2010.

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10 Ruscombe Green
11 Weggis
12 Jane's Political Ramblings
13 Suitably Despairing
14 Flesh is Grass
15 Green Reading
16 Greens Engage
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18 Stuart Jeffery
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20 Bloggy Blanc
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25 A Week Is a Long Time

What do you want your MP to Fight For?

The Green Party candidate for the Leyton & Wanstead parliamentary constituency is Ashley Gunstock, picture right.

Reasonable Expenses

Letter to: Wanstead and Woodford Guardian

Dear Mr Yeatman

Edwin Northover, the Conservative Parliamentary candidate for Leyton & Wanstead, is in no position to comment on Harry Cohen’s outrageous expense claims – ‘MP to make £100k on expenses scandal home’ (Guardian, February 25, print version only).

In view of his own party’s involvement in the sordid affair, what with Tory MPs’ appalling misuse of tax-payers’ money, for the building of duck houses and the cleaning of moats and the like, I find Mr Northover’s pious stance extremely hypocritical.

Ashley Gunstock

The Green Party Parliamentary Candidate for Leyton & Wanstead

See follow up piece on line. Tory candidate accused of hypocrisy

Tesco hypocrisy

Dear Mr Yeatman

The Green Party ‘Boycott Tesco’ campaign that I am involved in is genuinely intended to help protect local businesses and preserve the village atmosphere in the Wanstead area, for the benefit of all.

Nevertheless I have been branded a hypocrite by Edwin Northover – the Leyton and Wanstead Conservative Parliamentary Candidate – because I was ‘caught’ shopping in the Leytonstone Tesco store: Anti-Tesco campaigner admits using one of the firm’s other stores (Guardian December 21). It appears that the cause of Mr Northover’s outburst is the pressure that he and his Tory Councillor colleagues must be feeling, due to the looming General and Council elections. I am therefore flattered that I am deemed a threat to their forthcoming political aspirations.

In any event I have never denied that I shop in supermarkets. In fact throughout our campaign I have always made it absolutely clear that I believe that the supermarket and, incidentally, the car (that I also make use of) which have been in existence since the 19th century are part of the fabric of (and have a place in) our society. The fundamental issue here – which should not be submerged by personal attacks – is that there is no need for yet another supermarket in a thriving high street, such as the one that we are fortunate to have in Wanstead.

In light of all this I am sure that the supermarket giant will appreciate that I must decline its kind invitation to shop in its Wanstead store: Tesco statement rubs salt in wound for campaigner and Tesco offers olive branch to campaigner (Guardian December 24 & 31) and that our ‘Boycott Tesco’ campaign in Wanstead will continue.

Yours sincerely

Ashley Gunstock
Leading Spokesperson
The Green Party – Redbridge