Letters to the Editor, Lincolnshire Echo Friday, October 23, 2009
I enjoyed the letter in the Echo on October 12 where the writer, clearly a Labour supporter, referred to Dick Taverne as an excellent man.
I wholeheartedly agree. He is a visionary, a world-class leader and a very good friend to Lincoln.
It is therefore important that your readers are made aware that his choice for the next election in Lincoln is Liberal Democrat Reg Shore.
I further read with amusement a Labour party testimonial for their candidate, Ms Merron.It is good to hear something positive about MPs and about Ms Merron in particular.
It is commendable that she gives so much of her time and energy to Lincoln – but I must point out to your writer that he is stating the obvious.
It is her job, for which she is very well paid and for which she has claimed almost half a million pounds in expenses since she was last elected (expenses which she voted in Parliament to keep secret).
I also noted, again, the depressing regularity of a featured photograph of the Conservative candidate, yet no mention of the other main party contender, the Liberal Democrat Mr Shore.
So please allow me to put the record straight on his behalf and highlight some of the points raised in the letter.
The letter focuses much on the achievements of our MP with the clear implication that she’s “simply the best”. However, Mr Shore’s record is equally impressive and, I suggest, “better than all the rest.”
As a volunteer, Mr Shore has successfully given his time, freely, to community groups of both adults and children, for a lifetime, culminating in a number of national awards and immeasurable personal fulfilment to thousands of people, particularly our youth.
Further to this, he has successfully led the community at the highest political level, as a council leader; he continues to do so as a Lincolnshire county and district councillor and leader.
Professionally, Mr Shore didn’t rise through trade union activism. He is recognised as an education manager and practitioner, where he has a supreme record of examination success and school leadership – taking a failing school to excellence within his areas of influence
A Lincolnshire man who lives in, works in and actively supports local communities is surely the ideal future MP for the great city of Lincoln.
Jim Charters, Shearwater Road, Hartsholme, Lincoln.