Edward Timpson, the Conservative candidate for the Crewe & Nantwich by-election, is busy calling himself local. So I thought I’d take a look at his official biography on the Conservative Party website. And here’s what I found:
(Click on the thumbnail to see full size version.)
Update: just to provide a little background as I commented below: the reason for picking up on this is that the Conservatives are running the message that their candidate is local whilst also saying ours isn’t. That seems to me a fair target for criticism, particular as both parts of their message are being made at the same time in the same leaflet, which after all amounts to applying different standards on different pages of the very same leaflet. It all makes the paucity of the actual constituency references in the Conservative candidate’s official biography rather striking.
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107 Comments
So, one of your criticisms is that he has run marathons in New York and London ?
Yeah I’d hang him for that too…
best of luck
I seem to remember you were claiming Ben Abbotts was local in Bromley – when he lived in Beckenham. This really is rather tawdry stuff, don’t you think?
At least we didn’t impose our candidate!
Mark, glad to see you’ve got Iain Dale rattled!
No one was imposed Iain.
Cinnamon: I suspect the scuba diving wasn’t done in the constituency either 🙂
Its so nice to see how quicly LDs engage with the issues!
So you didn’t sack the properly selected candidate and replace him. Funny that. He seems to think you did. And he’s now resigned from the Party.
God – how desperate are the Tories to win this by-election? I guess we can expect more of this nonsense over the weeks to come then?
This nonsense? Look at the top of this post at Mark Pack’s ridiculous photoshopping! Dear oh dear. If that is the best you lot can do…
No one will ever accuse the Liberal Democrats of being desperate to win – quite the contrary…
Mark, would you care to answer my point about Ben Abbotts, who you constantly marketed as a local candidate?
You’re sounding more and more desperate Iain. I’d call it an early night if I were you.
I am Soooooooo pleased that all the pathetic Lib Dems have to throw at Ed Timpson is some sophistic argument about locality. You bummed in the local elections against conservatives, and frankly even entertaining a hope you might acheive something in Crewe & Nantwich is risible, even allowing for underhand and defamatory tactics like the present attack. Good Luck Ed. For the first time in an election I’m going to come up and stay with my sister locally to campaign.
Henry.
Our excellent candidate was chosen by local members in accordance with party rules. She was not imposed.
I know, ‘cos I was there.
Where DOES Edward Timpson live? He seems very coy about saying … wonder why? I’ve heard suggestions of Tarporley or Kelsall. Neither are exactly distant, but neiher are they in the constituency.
Why not just be straight about it?
(By the way, our candidate lives in Newcastle, 20 minutes or so in the car – and an hourly bus service).
You see, this is what people hate about politics. Edward Timpson has never claimed to live in the constituency. He lives just outside, like yor candidate, who was “selected” after your previous candidate was sacked.
Can we not just agree that they are both relatively local, unlike the Labour candidate?
Iain,
So why doesn’t ET just say “I live in xxxxx” ? Why the “local” and “in this area” ? Why not just be straight with people ?
Yes Iain – a very interesting piece from the Guardian :-
http://www.guardian.co.uk/politics/2008/may/01/liberaldemocrats.byelections?gusrc=rss&feed=politics
Iain Dale wrote: “At least we didn’t impose our candidate!”
What, like you did in Arundel? Very democratic, that.
Beckenham is in the London Borough of Bromley, in case you hadn’t noticed.
Still, I don’t suppose you had any problem with Horace Cutler running the GLC while living in Gerrard’s Cross.
Alix Mortimer has an appealling personality. You don’t.
A bottle of Grecian 2000 might help, however.
This is a truely desperately embarrassing small minded dim witted attack.
Do we really have nothing better to do?
Nothing better to discuss?
I despair.
Sesenco, Are you really reduced to hurling insults at the colour of my hair. Jesus wept.
Nobody expects anybody to go to university or run marathons in the constituency. You’re an idiot. By-elections may be the last legal bloodsport but you’re clearly bloodhound turds.
You give the impression that Crewe/Nantwich is like that creepy village in “League of Gentlemen” – “Local candidates for local people, we don’t like outsiders coming all the way from, er, Chester”.
Grow up.
When will the Conservatives find a genuinely local candidate to stand in a parliamentary by-election?
The hollowness of their results on Thursday will be repeated again when they fail to win this by-election.
What an absolute load of bollocks. Don’t you stray 2 miles out of your area. Idiot.
Why do all Parties seem to want to get into a debate about how local a candidate is, particularly in by-elections? What is more important is what a candidate stands for and how good an MP they’d make. This sort of sniping just turns me off.
Oh FFS, this is ridiculous. Both the Tory and LibDem candidates live within spitting distance of the constituency. Can we all just agree that ane leave it there? Surely there are more important things, like, perhaps policy ideas? Just a radical thought…
Iain: the Conservative leaflets, while calling their candidate ‘local’ have at the same time attacked Elizabeth as not being local. Indeed it was seeing that which led me to wonder how local Edward Timpson is. If you think they are as local as each other, does that mean you’ll criticse the Conservative leaflets for saying something else?
“So why doesn’t ET just say “I live in xxxxx” ? Why the “local” and “in this area” ?”
If the election is going to be conducted on this level I won’t bother getting in my car!
We referred to both Michael Carr (Ribble Valley) and David Chidgey (Eastleigh) as the local candidate and neither of them lived in the Constituency. Both had strong links with the area which meant that it was firstly credible to make such a claim but also that any attacks on them for not being local would backfire.
He may not live in the constituency – but lets not try to make him out to be Tim Palmer mark 2
I couldn’t give a toss whether someone lives five miles or ten miles from the constituency and I am not going to get into a slanging match about it. These things always happen in by elections, usually provoked by your party (witness your disgraceful attacks on Bob Neill who had the temerity to live three miles from Bromley, while your candidate lived 1 mile). The fact that you are now on the receiving end means that you’re reacting in a puerile fashion. Fair enough. That’s by election politics.
This whole exchange has taught me a valuable lesson. I’ll leave you to work out what that might be.
Mark Pack leads the smears (again)
What a sleazeball.
How can this be a smear (pointing out that the Conservative candidate does not live in the constituency) be so bad without the smear put about by Mr Timpson (pointing out that the Labour candidate does not live in the constituency).
What’s sauce for the goose is sauce for the gander.
Iain says he couldn’t give a toss whether someone lives five miles or ten miles from the constituency but the latest Tory offering refers to the LD candidate being a “West Midlands councillor”! Obviously the Tory campaign machine is not listening to you Iain!!
As for the comments on Mr T’s web site entry re his local ties let’s stop taking everything so seriously people – surely it’s just a bit of tongue in cheek fun designed to provide some lighter moments in what is going to be a busy and tiring campaign schedule coming on the back of a busy and tiring local election campaign and we all deserve – and need – the odd laugh o two right now don’t we?
Apparently he’s a Tory toff too (see the exchange of comments on Iain Dale’s Diary).
My alter ego once came close to unseating a Tory whose gave a local London address for the ballot paper.
The “local” address was, I recall, a secretary’s flat. His homes were in NW3 and the West Country. It didn’t stop him being a good constituency man. Or from attacking me for living in that part of the constituency which had been hived off at a redistribution.
As for Bob Neill (who was a nice guy when we sparred back in the 70s): to my certain knowledge he has justifiably claimed “local” connections in at least three constituencies, all north of the river.
As a matter of fact, and I’ve just realised this, since I was born and brought up in North Norfolk, I might take offence at carpet-bagging candidates, “furreners” from Essex, as “outsiders”. Actually, I think the electors may already have done just that.
The situation is, for propaganda and no other reason, we have this regular nonsense implying an implicit residential requirement. That would have kiboshed the likes of Thatcher in Finchley, Churchill in several seats, and many more.
Anyway, I can’t see why anyone should mock Moyra Tamsin Dunwoody-Kneafsey for any permutation of her names. They were, after all, largely wished upon her.
I agree with iain Dale that this post is stupid. Anyone care to disagree?
This post may or may not be stupid. But it is typical Pack. And a typical Dale reaction too.
Beautiful post from Redfellow whose subtle aspersion on Dale’s attacking a Lib Dem seat and going from 500 or so behind to literally 10,000 worse may perhaps be lost on Iain.
So I thought I’d explain it.
The LDV machine is refusing my comment … has Iain Dale been given control?
He has mostly published my comments but there have been more than a few instances of ridiculous censorship.
>>>> here’s what I’m trying to post >>>>
This post may or may not be stupid. But it is typical Pack. And a typical Dale reaction too.
Beautiful post from Redfellow whose subtle aspersion on Dale’s attacking a Lib Dem seat and going from 500 or so behind to literally 10,000 worse may perhaps be lost on Iain.
So I thought I’d explain it.
From Elizabeth Shenton’s (your own candidate’s) website —
“Since 2006 she has been a Liberal Democrat councillor in neighbouring Newcastle-under-Lyme (******OUTSIDE THE CONSTITUENCY******) with a track record of delivering results for residents, including securing major improvements to the local bus station and taking up local parking concerns.”
From http://www.nickclegg.org.uk
“Nick Clegg is MP for Sheffield Hallam and Leader of the Liberal Democrats.
He was born in 1967 and studied at three universities: Cambridge (******OUTSIDE HIS CONSTITUENCY******) , Minnesota (******OUTSIDE HIS CONSTITUENCY******) and College D’Europe (******OUTSIDE HIS CONSTITUENCY******).”
Mark – whilst I was Lib Dem Parliamentary Candidate for East Hants (claiming to be a local) I had the temerity to give birth to a baby outside the constituency. I am really sorry about that – sort of feel I let the side down there.
Hywel has a point – This Sort Of Thing doesn’t really make me want to go out and deliver loads of leaflets, even in sunny Crewe.
More positive stuff about our candidate, please!
Now that I have read the “Thumbnail” at the top of the page and the, quite frankly, puerile comments attached to it.
I can honestly say that if this is the best the Lib-Dems can do, then you’ve lost.
Mark, this is pathetic stuff. You are the Head of Innovations for the party. I effectively pay your salary out of donations, whilst small I admit, I make to the party so how about some innovative thinking.
This constant desire for “local” candidates is a real hindrance on LibDem progress and getting good quality candidates. It is an ethos, which results seemingly in the lead local councillor/activist getting selected. I am quite keen to become a PPC, however, I grew up on the south coast, have worked in London, and now work in the South West and discover my local party chair needs to sponsor my application. I am not really local to anywhere so I have decided not to bother whilst the party has this “local is best” mindset.
I find myself agreeing with many of the comments above. Crewe is NOT Royston Vasey – as a town that grew out of a tiny hamlet it shouldn’t get hung up about whether somebody is “local” whatever that means.
BUT, since Mr Timpson is making such a thing of being “local” I’d still like to know where exactly he lives i.e. what town or village.
Hardly unreasonable.
The reason I picked up on this is that the Conservatives are running the message that their candidate is local whilst also saying ours isn’t.
That seems to me a fair target for criticism, particular as both parts of their message are being made at the same time in the same leaflet.
After all, it amounts to applying different standards on different pages of the same leaflet. Is that really the sort of thing that passes for acceptable?
Mark, what you say may very well be true. What is much less clear to me is whether it is appropriate for you to be writing this stuff on Lib Dem Voice. LDV claims to be independent, but you are a party insider producing stuff that seems to be little more than party propaganda, and written with a minimum of effort to boot. For a change, why don’t you try writing something that actually imparts some useful knowledge based upon your campaigning or technical experience?
Edward Timpson is from Cheshire, born, bred, and resident. The Lib Dem carpet-bagger is from Staffordshire. This is an election for a Cheshire seat. End of.
Look if you guys dish it out (cf. Bromley, in far bigger spades-worth), then expect to get it thrown right back in your faces.
While what you say may be true Mark and I accept the fact that the Tories may well have ‘fierd the first shots’ as it were I really don’t think you can use the fact that somebody runs marathons and goes to University outside a constituency as evidence of their lack of local ties.
It’s perfectly correct to critcise the nature of this propaganda used against our candidate but to hit back in this way is to descend to the level that we started at; and that is what has riled people I think.
This thread of comments really is very funny. I’m sure that most people in the country, like me, don’t know where Crewe is and have never heard of Nantwich. So your parochial little rant about whether a candidate lives just inside or just outside the constituency is bordering on the surreal. Most Labour MPs in England are Scottish, and it doesn’t seem to dampen their chances. The real question, of course, remains: Is your candidate any good? And the answer equally clearly is no, or they wouldn’t be a Liberal Democrat. Would they now?
Really pathetic stuff – but we in the Conservatives have come to expect this sort of behaviour from MP. It seems to me that all LDV is there to do is find ‘faults’ with people in rival parties, not to act an independent voice for liberalism or party democracy.
I agree totally with Laurence. Sorry. There is far too much of this kind of sniping on LDV, and it makes me want to roll my eyes and not read the site any more.
“The reason I picked up on this is that the Conservatives are running the message that their candidate is local whilst also saying ours isn’t.”
If I recall we did the same in Eastleigh, referring to the Conservative from Basingstoke. In fairness it was only used a couple of times and I didn’t really seen the point
Ruth Bright.
How thoughtless of you.
Please think ahead next time your waters break!
Decent of you to apologise [although in a queue of people who need to apologise on this thread, you are way back].
All hail Laurence Boyce [well Jennie and I anyway…and if there aren’t more volunteers, there ought to be].
I’m with Jennie and Laurence – cut back on the “Tory councillor caught with pants down / defects / photoshop horror”, please.
I BELIEVE that I may finally have tracked down Mr Timpson’s home address – Tirley Lane, Kelsall.
So, the Tory candidate lives approx 13 miles outside the constituency.
The Lib Dem lives approx 10 miles outside the constituency.
So why the Tory claims that she is an “outsider”, “carpetbagger” etc ???
Perhaps we could get back to issues of policy, experience, skills etc ???
Two issues:
1) candidates and campaigns should show scrupulous consistency (the tories have not)
2) indicating the opponents inconsistency may only follow after legitimately highlighting our own relevance (which this article does not, if not at all, then at least well enough)
Glad to find that good dairy country still produces a predictably cheesy culture!
Iain Dale is now running scared of commenting on the by-election. If the Tories believed that they will win the next election then they’d have the guts to go for it.
oh what a tangled web we weave, Will. Sigh. I have said no such thing.
A whole Bank Holiday later, and you lot are still at it. Sheesh.
All those well-meaning electrons who’ve been sacrificed to total entropy in the service of … what?
Actually, the only contributor with whom I can wholly agree was suggesting that apologies were in order.
So I now do just that.
From here on, the heat-death of the universe is no longer my fault.
However, when I consider the campaigning record of the Dunwoody clan, and before that [Grandad] Morgan Phillips at Transport House, I reckon they have between them done the common good no small service between them.
Geez! What a slanging match! As my latest post shows the ‘local’ Tory candidate couldn’t even be bothered to campaign when polling day is just 17 days away (as it states clearly on his site!)
That’s just what Tories are like, Jo. He no doubt leaves it up to the drones to do all the work.
What great fun could be had if someone had caught him out and about canvassing or doing a sneaky bit of leaflet delivery on ‘family time’…what a picture :@)
I loathe and despise the Tories and everything they stand for (sorry Iain!!) with a searing passion but certain things about this debate have just turned me off totally. Nit-picking about where the Conservative candidate runs their marathons is an example of the kind of things which do turn people off politics in general. When we engage with the oppostion we should be taking them to the cleaners on their ideas…not how far they live from their constituency….
If Mark Pack can’t do better than that, then he should try another job…
The funniest thing is most of the evidence of Edward’s lack of localism comes from his own biography on the Conservative website. He doesn’t seem too ashamed of himself and the fact that he has done things elsewhere in the County / World!!
What is Edward like? What is his experience of life? What has he acheived outside politics? What can he offer to the people of Crewe and Nantwich? What can the other Candidates (and Parties) offer? These are some of the questions that should be asked, rather than a stupid rant about whether he lives 10 (or 20?) miles from the Constituency. If that’s the best dirt to dish on him, I will be pleased to join his campaign.
What a mean-spirited and shallow article!
I think I should be Edward’s agent. He wouldn’t rest for a minute :@) He he!
It appears that Edward Timpson’s crime of running a marathon was to raise money (1,300 pounds) for the cancer unit at Leighton hospital, which is , er, INSIDE the constituency!!
Anon,
Edward could have performed a miracle, or found a cure for AIDS, but no doubt if he did it outside of the immediate environs of Crewe and Nantwich then Mark Pack would be saying that this made him unsuitable for public service in the constituency.
There is simply no pleasing some people.
I’ll tell you what Iain. We’ll stand in the middle of Bromley High Street and ask 100 local electors whether Ben’s home address at the time is considered “local” by them and do the same for Bob’s. I’ll place a bet with you on the results (as I have lived in both Beckenham and Bromley & Chislehurst). Alternatively you could try driving it, unless you have an amphibious Audi I think you will find it is rather more than 3 miles to get to Docklands!
The moral of this unedifying exchange is that Liberal Voice is NOT ‘our place to talk’ but a public forum ‘ . . where any individual inside or outside the party can express their views . . ‘; therefore we shouldn’t post anything to it that is likely to be misinterpreted by our opponents, even if it is only intended as a private joke, which is what I take Mark’s post to be.
This advice applies with knobs on to [1] critical by-election campaigns and [2] to Cowley St officials, who are not free to make jokes, much as they would like to.
Why are Cowley Street officials not free to make jokes? Doesn’t sound very Liberal to me! Mind you, most people I know at Cowley Street aren’t very funny, so perhaps that’s why!
I can’t believe I wasted 10 minutes of my time reading this thread
They can make jokes but not in a public place like this forum, where what was meant as a joke will seized upon as a serious remark and twisted and misinterpreted by our adversaries.
Are you seriously suggesting that the post was meant as a joke? Either you have a VERY strange sense of humour or the Lib Dem spinning department is working overtime this morning.
Face it, it was just a very poor piece of analysis. Maybe it would be easier to forgive Mark Pack if he were slightly more forgiving of the small foibles of others.
Shouldn’t we be saying that experience of the world outside one’s own back yard is a good thing in an MP (since though they represent the locality they pass judgement on national and international matters)…if we had taken that approach rather than descend to the Tories level then things would surely have turned out better than they have with this piece…….
Isn’t it about time the Lib Dems grew up?
They’ll never be taken seriously all the time they indulge in 6th form politics,
For the record, I don’t give a damn where my MP grew up, studied or worked … as long as they’ve done all three!!!!
I just thought I’d post a comment as everyone else seems to have.
Happy by election, everyone!
While views may differ on the importance of being local, surely it’s legitimate to point out that the Tories are misleading people by saying their candidate is local and ours isn’t, when ours actually lives closer to the constituency.
But I will agree with Mr Dale that, compared to the Labour candidate from West Wales, they are both relatively local.
I tell you what… Typical LibDem campaign, smear everybody else to the top… I hope you lose massively, at the hands of the refreshing Conservative Party, not the party that has a leader that has slept with “no more than 30 women”
Who’s being sleazy and low down now….I really wouldnt go in for cheap shots about how many women Nick Clegg has slept with given the private life of the current Tory Mayor of London….
I care less about where Edward Timpson-nice-but-dim comes from than what he’d be like as an MP for the area. He strikes me from the little I’ve seen of him so far as a clueless Tory toff.
Andy H, you are mistaken; he is a successful barrister, probably the most competitive and overcrowded profession in Britian today:
‘Mr. Edward Timpson . . was called to the Bar in 1998 and after completing his degree at Durham University joined Nicholas Street Chambers . . [he] specialises in family law and has developed a strong practice which encompasses all aspects of Children Act 1989 work, including public and private law applications,child abduction and adoption work . . [he] also specialises in Care proceedings acting on behalf of a number of local authorities as well as parents and guardians and has given lectures on the Public Law Outline to local solicitors . . [he] has appeared recently for a local authority in the Court of Appeal and is a member of the Family Law Bar Association.’ http://www.nicholas-street.com/member-details.cfm?idd=35
He strikes me as a typical modern Tory of the rising generation.
Is this still going on? One might suspect that Tories are feeling a bit sensitive that their candidate is not local and lives outside the constituency.
Oh joy, the gloves are off!
By-elections always bring out the best and worst of our characters, but I think it is a bit lame to have a two-sided slanging match in a three-way fight.
The only beneficiaries of this competitive emnity is the Labour party – something that I don’t think either we LibDems, the tories or the electorate can be accused of wanting.
I am quite frankly astonished at how pathetic and ill-educated this thread is. I suggest, to make some sort of positive headway, that the Lib Dems gather their flock and guide them to do something useful other than spout utter tripe on this website, which simultaneously also damages the environment with the energy consumption used to host it and allowing for such garbage to be printed. I went to school with Mr.Timpson, pre-Durham days, and he was an exceptional student, far outstripping most other children academically and in many sports, whilst trying his hand at pretty much everything else to the best of his ability. I do live within his constituency and Mr.Timpson lives 4.5 miles away from me. I reckon he could run to my house quicker than most of you could type that he doesn’t live within his constituency! If that is the height of your damning of him, if I were you, I would personally take a long hard look at why you are raising your voice in such an embarassing fashion. Is there really nothing else which concerns you? Mr Pack, you obviously have nothing better to do. If you would like a few suggestions on how to aid the Lib Dems efficiently, please feel free to email me. And for the record, no I don’t particularly vote Conservative, presently, neither Labour nor the Lib Dems. I merely wish for the best and most suitable candidate to win, for all our sakes. From the contenders, knowing what each stands for, personally and towing the party-line, I believe Mr.Timpson is by far the most superior. Get with the script people, multi-party politics is long-dead in our so-called democracy. Choose your future by applying new benchmarks – emotional intelligence, vision and leverageable experience. Believe me, by doing so, you won’t go far wrong and will be doing your borough, as well as your country, a true service. Make your vote count, don’t waste time by suffocating the new-era debate with such naive spin. Haven’t we had enough of that already?
I stand corrected – Mr.Timpson lives 7 miles away from me. I must have been thinking as the crow flies, or by walking across the fields. Which reminds me, Mr.Timpson has been instrumental in many environmental campaigns too, one of which in particular, if it had failed, would have seen swathes of beautiful virgin countryside (green-belt) ruined forever and replaced by thousands and thousands of houses, roads and pylons, with no doubt the odd completely futile useless wind turbines thrown in too. Who said green is the new black? Looks like it could be blue….
multi-party politics dead?
I guess that’s toeing the party line too, rather than reflecting the blinding truth that can be experienced and savoured on every square inch of this planet.
I’m guessing the opinion of Mr Timpson’s close personal friend is as equally inaccurate and subjective on all matters.
http://www.manchestereveningnews.co.uk/news/s/1048385_women_battle_for_dunwoody_seat?rss=yes
Would appear the press thinks Mr T is rather wealthy as well as living outside the area….
Surprise, surprise. More drivel. Firstly Mr.Oranjepan, I have not stated that I am a close personal friend of Mr.Timpson’s. I knew him well at school a long time ago, though keep myself abreast of his present progress. Although you obviously enjoy schoolboy politics, it is not something I choose to spend my time on. Secondly, it appears you did not read my comments about multi-party politics closely enough – I said in ‘this’ so-called democracy. That being England in case you aren’t sure. International affairs are of no interest in this matter, though I dispute your ill-founded comments and suggest you gain a better understanding of the geopolitical landscape before using the verbs ‘experienced and savoured’. As to ‘on every square inch of this planet’, I wonder what your thoughts are about Russia, the entire Middle East, swathes of Africa, Central Asia, South East Asia, China, and much of Latin America, to say the least. With that, it appears, even though you are content spouting irrelevancies online, your underlying knowledge of British politics, it’s players, the relationships between them and of those who really (try to) run this country is very thin on the ground too. Thirdly, I am not towing any party line. Once again if you had read my previous post thoroughly you will have noted that I adhere to no particular party. And finally, none of what I have written is inaccurate in any way, nor subjective. That includes this post too. May I suggest you spend less time online and go back to school? Once you have an education it can’t be taken away from you.
I will not be returning to this page so feel free to write whatever you wish in response. It’s of no issue.
For you Paul.L, does it really matter if Mr.Timpson is rather wealthy? What about your boss at work, if you work? Do you have no aspirations? Besides, as I’m sure you are aware, having lots of money does not equal happiness. It sounds like you have a chip on your shoulder. If I was you I would buy some sandpaper and find some new principles to live by.
That all being said, I wish each of you the very best going forward. May goodness win through.
Someone who knows Mr Timpson – you’ve got a silver tongue, to be sure!
I wonder if your asserions are as sterling as you make them out to be, but I’m sure it would be illuminating to meet up and discover the facts of the matter for ourselves.
You candidate is far from local. She is a unremarkable cllr in a different county! Get a grip. Edward Timpson is local in the sense he lives in the area, and has a reltionship with the constituency.
Dont be padantic about the word local.
From my look at the map, Elizabeth Shenton lives closer to Crewe than Edward Timpson, so if you’re going to say he’s local because of where he lives, then so is Elizabeth.
closer to Crewe maybe, but the constituency goes considerably beyond Crewe.
And anyway, I said he is local because of his involvement with the constituency – What relationship does Elizabeth have with Crewe & Nantwich?
Er, Owen, didn’t you say “don’t be pedantic about the word local”?
Perhaps you should take your own advice (instead of trying to suggest having some connection with an area makes you “local”, but living in it does not)
I think we should have a wooden spoon category in this year’s blogger of the year competition, and maybe award it to this thread without any further discussion.
A question for ‘someone who knows mr timpson’- Grant Shapps, is that you again? Trying to create false election buzz?
“lives closer to Crewe ” Oh does she?
Well this tells us all we need to know anout LibDems view of the Crewe and NANTWICH constituency.
Lets hope Conservatives from ALL OVER the constituency rise up on the 22nd and tell the LibDems and of course our ‘Great Leader’ where to go.
I’d rather have a non- local tory than a liberal
What rubbish comments! Liberal as shown in today’s BBC NW TV interview, of course you can make promises when you will never Govern!
Good 2 see the LD campaign having such a big impact on the polls:))
Davy, it is. We are either up or holding our own in every national poll. Whatever magic Cameron is sprinkling on voters, it ain’t working on the LibDems. And the polls from C&N show that our vote is holding up very well, thank you. And on 1st May, we saw off the Tories in our seats in the South, whilst winning big cities on the North.
Yes I was especially impressed with the number of wards won in ….the whole of london!!
At my ripe old age of xx!!!!!! do I not remember that Timpsons had shoe shops as well as shoe repairs? How many people did they sack when they closed?
Not to mention that the Tories keep banging on about housing. Wasn’t it one M Thatcher who sold off the council houses which has caused this present problem of many people not being able to climb on the property ladder or having to move miles away from their families to afford even a broom cupboard
No, selling council houses was an excellent policy that met the aspirations of many working-class people much better than the paternalistic statism that had been their lot beforehand. It was an actually an authentically liberal policy in that it gave people a direct stake in their property and their future.
The problem was that the Treasury pocketed the proceeds of the sales rather than allowing councils to keep it for new building and improving the existing housing stock.
The article this thread is based on is utter drivel. The comments defending it are, broadly, drivel. Timpson is head and shoulders the best candidate and deserves to win.
As one who has felt a (real) world away from the nit-picking awfulness of this thread, I was brought up short by one small detail.
Perhaps the previous contributor could explain the choice of “Scaramanga” as a pseudonym?
After all, it’s not often that a gunman, mobster, drug-runner and “latent homosexual” with three nipples proposes him/herself as a political pundit.
Like Edward, I am a practising barrister.
I was in Chambers with him until recently and got to know him very well.
He is very intelligent, articulate, caring and genuine.
It is quite extraordinary that someone with those qualities, who wants to become an MP and to represent people, should be criticised because of where he has chosen to buy a house and bring up his family. Why should he have to sell up and move a few miles? How will that make him a better candidate than he already is? Would it not just be an entirely artificial device to make him look more appealing to the voters?
I thought the Labour Party’s wholly negative and unwarranted attack on him as a ‘toff’ (whatever that is in 2008?) was pathetic.
I used to be a supporter of the LibDems but if this childish criticism is really the best that this party can come up with, then shame on you! How very small-minded you are.
Anon- I tend to find anonymous people who berate others are not worth listening to.