Letters to the Editor
Letter to Maghull Champion
15 August 2008
Dear Sir,
What an odd Conservative response in last week's Champion to Mr Kruger. It clearly indicated that Tories thought we Lib Dems were behind Mr Kruger's remarks when in reality he was simply a local person expressing his own view.
That aside what on earth was the Tory respondent on about? A most unfortunate rant it would seem that took no account of the facts. In saying that all investment now goes elsewhere in the Borough the writer seems to know nothing of the £8.2m Leisure Centre that is being built at the side of Maghull Town Hall starting in September which local councillors campaigned for over many years.
But what on earth was the statement 'they [Lib Dem councillors] kicked TESCO out and have to grovel to the Lottery to get a long overdue community centre' all about?. Let's look at the facts.
The TESCO planned for the Knowles site in Liverpool Road North was obviously in the wrong place, surrounding residents and councillors agreed. A campaign was launched and residents won when TESCO pulled out. Councillors have urged TESCO to speak to the Maghull Group who own the Square as that is clearly the best place for such a store.
Finally, I was not aware that the Lottery accepted grovelling applications! In fact the bid is from Lydiate Parish Council who are leading the fight to get a new community hall for their community.
So just what do Tories think should have happened? No councillor support for campaigning residents? No Lottery bid meaning that extra costs would be put on Council tax payers? Or were they just having an uniformed go to gain publicity? What a sad state of affairs indeed.
Yours sincerely
Richard Clein
Liberal Democrat Prospective MP
for Sefton Central
www.richardclein.co.uk
Letter to Formby Times
22nd November 2007
Dear Sir,
I was absolutely astounded after reading that the Conservatives in Formby have launched a campaign to save Freshfield Post Office. It was the last Conservative government which started the process and closed thousands of post offices (3,334 to be exact).
What an insult to our intelligence!
This is yet another example of where Labour government policy has continued in the same vein as the previous Conservative one – a move which will affect the most vulnerable people in our communities for whom the post office provides a lifeline.
Is it any wonder people are turned off by politics and politicians when they see such political opportunism in a desperate attempt to win support?
The reality is both the Tories and Labour are running scared as people across Sefton turn to the Liberal Democrats. Maybe it’s because we tell the truth. The Liberal Democrats are the only party to have consistently fought to retain the Post Office network and we will continue to do so.
In fact we have already written to the Network Development Manager of the National Consultation Team opposing the closure. I must congratulate you on launching your campaign to save Freshfield Post Office and I offer my party’s wholehearted support.
Many people have already been in touch with me about the proposed closure and if anyone would like to get involved in the Liberal Democrat campaign to save Freshfield and the four other post offices in Sefton, they can contact me on 0151 281 6748 or at clein4seftoncentral@hotmail.co.uk.
Yours sincerely,
Richard Clein
Letter to the Crosby Herald
March 2008
Dear Sir,
Last week, I was surprised to read a Manor ward resident complaining about receiving the Liberal Democrat FOCUS newsletters.
The response to FOCUS, which I would not term propaganda, and the NHS Health Inquiry has been hugely positive. In fact residents in Thornton have been in touch to thank us for letting them know via FOCUS that we have fixed street lights in Hillary Drive, Eden Drive South and Moor Lane; and residents in Hightown have also thanked us for our work including getting rubbish cleared from the railway embankment.
The reality is that people living in Manor find it refreshing to have local campaigners who are getting things done instead of Conservative representatives who claim to be getting things done and a Labour MP who seems to have disappeared. But then again perhaps she realises they are out of the race with no councillors in the new Sefton Central constituency. The fact is only the Liberal Democrats can beat the Conservatives and support for any other party is a wasted vote.
If you would like to get in touch with the Liberal Democrat team then please contact Manor ward campaigner John Gibson on 0151 929 2044 or johngibson4manor@hotmail.com or Richard Clein at clein4seftoncentral@hotmail.co.uk or visit www.richardclein.co.uk
Yours sincerely,
Richard Clein
Letter to Crosby Herald/Formby Times/Maghull Champion
7th July 2008
Dear Sir,
When is the Conservative Party nationally going to realise that its Party in Sefton has been taken over by a sect akin to Militant? Just a cursory glance at recent local Tory shenanigans demonstrates my concerns.
First, they deselect former Mayor and highly respected Blundellsands Ward member Wendy Jones who seemingly spoke her own mind once too often and had to be silenced. Then they tried, unsuccessfully this time, to get rid of another highly respected Tory Councillor and former Mayor in Dukes Ward.
Secondly, in Maghull's Park ward this year they made an appalling personal attack on a Lib Dem councillor that was both highly misleading and untrue. The attack was in a leaflet delivered across the whole ward but it took notice of legal action to force Sefton's Tory Leader to apologise in Council. No apology was ever made to the Park ward electorate.
Thirdly, Sefton Tories decided for reasons that no one can understand to jump into bed with a failing Labour Party in a ridiculous attempt to prop up a Labour administration on Sefton Council. Thankfully the plot was uncovered by Conservative HQ who issued an edict demanding that the Tory Group sobered up and stopped backing Labour.
Finally, on both Merseyside Passenger Transport Authority and Merseyside Fire and Rescue Authority Sefton based Tory Councillors are openly propping up Labour administrations! Like Sefton Council both these Authorities have more Liberal Democrats elected to them than either Tory or Labour members yet Sefton Tories have put Labour in charge. Mr Cameron has been written to about this.
So Tory HQ do know that odd things are going on within the Sefton Conservatives but will Mr Cameron step in? You would think that he would see from recent Sefton elections that things are going badly wrong for the Tories. Having lost 3 seats to the Lib Dems over the past 3 elections and another to Labour via a defection when the Tories are doing quite well in many other places should sound alarm bells for Mr. Cameron!
Militant destroyed Labour from inside and the parallels with Sefton Conservatives are there for all to see.
Yours sincerely,
Richard Clein
Lib Dem Parliamentary Spokesperson for Sefton Central
www.richardclein.co.uk
Letter to Crosby Herald/Formby Times/Maghull Champion
14th January 2008
Dear Sir,
Last weekend I was in Lydiate with residents campaigning against the closure of their post office which for many is a vital lifeline.
Your readers will not be surprised that the Government has delayed making a decision until after the local elections. Perhaps they feared a backlash in the polls although in this area the Labour party is already at its lowest ebb with not a single councillor in the new Sefton Central constituency. That’s why experts are predicting that the next General Election, whenever it comes, will be a close fight between the Liberal Democrats and the Conservatives.
People are sick of broken promises from this Labour Government. Not too long ago they promised a deep clean of our hospitals after an increase in the number of MRSA cases and deaths following an outbreak of Clostridium difficile. They said it would take place as a matter of urgency.
Well your readers won’t be surprised to hear that none of the hospitals in our area have yet been cleaned. In fact latest reports suggest it may not happen at all.
This is yet another example where a good headline has not yet become reality. So much for Mr Brown saying there would be no more spin!
I met last week with my party’s new leader Nick Clegg to discuss some of the issues affecting people living in Sefton Central. The Liberal Democrats are committed to ensuring everyone has access to an NHS dentist and that there is free personal care for the elderly.
Our vision is also of a health service where patients are in charge and there is a democratic system of accountability. In fact this is just one example of how we are the only party who ask people to support us so we can give power back to them!
Shortly I will be sending a health survey to people in Sefton to get a true picture of their experiences of the NHS.
The findings will be fed back to the Liberal Democrat team in Westminster.
Yours sincerely,
Richard Clein
