« Home | Surgeries II » | Surgery details » | Ring any bells? » | Princess Pushy in Parliament » | It was the blog what done it » | Milton makes local paper » | Oi! Milton! Clean up your act! » | All publicity is good publicity II » | All publicity is good publicity » | Pfffft! » 

Wednesday, July 27, 2005 

Another ringer - Richard Gates

Well, well, well... look what I happened upon when I was directed to a pamphlet containing surgery details that went out to selected members of the constituency. Here's a picture of Anne's 'Bramley Conservative Action Team'... featuring Councillor Richard Gates:

The Bramley Dream Team



Now take a look at this pre-election pamphlet which has a large page headed; Why local people think Anne Milton will be Guildford’s next MP

Not only do we see the lovely Katherine, we also see... Councillor Richard Gates!

Hello, Richard!



Of course, he's not billed as 'Councillor Richard Gates', just 'Richard'... but at least they gave voters a sporting chance of spotting a ringer by using the same picture this time.

It also needs to be noted that:

1. Being a councillor does not stop one from being local
2. They were right; she *did* become Guildford’s next MP

Of course, in the mind of Miltonites, this completely negates the significance of this little deception.

Labels:

Hey, thats doesn't liik like a Tory Club circular to me.

It looks like it was addressed to constituents, very similar to the one I got.

- | -

Well now you've seen this and are aware of the Local Issue version, perhaps you would care to explain which one you were referring to... and perhaps venture a guess as to why you have one (or both) and I have neither.

- | -

It's really quite sad, because 'Tim' started off well, but is, i think, being affected by some illness or other, and is slightly losing the plot!

As you rightly point out voicemail - this leaflet seems to say 'Election communication', now who do you think a political party, in such a key seat would post it to (bearing in mind if its the election communication they woudl be entitled to send it to every elector!!) Do you think they woudl just send it to 'Conservative members'. Do you see how 'Tims' illness is affecting him.

I think he also thinks, though he lives in Bramley, that people in Bramley don't qualify as local people!

We have to be pacient with him at the moment, and hope chris gets round in time to give him a big hug!

- | -

So that's a 'no' then.

- | -

What's a 'no'...is there a question there somewhere?

- | -

Oh, do pardon me. I wrongfully assumed that you had also read this, in the other thread that you have contributed to:

And I would think - as tomtom, voice-mail and Suzamme brought it up, the onus is on them to clarify matters.

...and/or I wrongfully assumed that you and voice-mail were one and the same person. My bad.

Well, tomtom.. now you've seen this and are aware of the Local Issue version, perhaps you would care to explain which one you were referring to when you said you had received surgery details through your letterbox... and perhaps venture a guess as to why you have one (or both) and I have neither.

- | -

Voice Mail and TomTom seem to be getting more than slightly confused - the Local Issues is post-election (as you can see if you read its contents), and the one with Richard Gates in yellow ("Talk of The Town") is part of the Tory pre-election portfolio.

Richard Gates can also be seen strutting at the end of Milton's constituency-wide march (all 12 of them) shown elsewhere on this site. He is the one doing the goose-step.(I wonder where he learnt it ?)

Message to TomTom and VoiceMail - time spent in thoroughly reading received material before hitting the 'send' key is time rarely wasted.

Finally, leaflet-deliverers of all Parties will occasionally avoid a known "anti" address - I always myself avoid a house in Peasmarsh whose front is covered with BNP symbols (you recognise the house from the A 3100 by the St George's flag being stuck all over the front, plus the punk Garden Gnomes With Attitude. !)

- | -

Sure, happy to, i didn't spot the question mark on 'Tim's' question.

I received a local issues, from Sarah Creedy, which had Anne's surgery details on.

I can understand some deliverers of political leaflets missing out some houses (maybe because of a dog, or BNP stickers as lambeth lad says) especially if it is someone who delivers that bit regularly. And i woudl guess that 'Tim' hasn't received because he is a known non-supporter. But i would think in an area like this its just as easy to deliver everyone as to miss some out.

- | -

So it's 'Local Issues' that you refer to. Good. Glad we cleared that up.

1. You were given numerous opportunities to point this out yesterday, but you did not. I wonder why.

2. And why do you receive 'Local Issues', tomtom?

3. I have spoken to a number of people I know locally and none of them have received the 'community' pamphlet. Has *anybody* reading this received one of these?

- | -

Oh and can we carry this over to a more suitable post?

Keep it all on-topic etc.

*This* post is about another ringer in a pre-election pamphlet, and the subsequent discussion on the subject of 'Local Issues' etc. has already led to some confusion about which pamphlet is which. (But I am glad that I finally got my answer.)

Cheers.

- | -

TomTom will have received the Holy Trinity ward July 2005 "Local Issues" (available on the web link which I indicated earlier), delivery of which Tory Councillor Sarah Creedy will have masterminded. She is one of their better ones. But the only Milton surgery details printed on it are the 300330 phone number, and no more, which isn't terribly constituent-friendly.

TomTom is right that deliverers of all Parties will certainly avoid particular dog-owning addresses, such as the Hound of The Baskervilles at No 1, Gosden Common, and the Rottweiler in Drodges Close, Bramley. Clues such as 10 feet high wire fences round the front garden and photos (of rampant dog with spiked collar) attached to garden gate, along with a "Tyson Lives Here" nameplate, tend to give a hint. And one of our deliverers in Compton had to go to hospital after a dog bit her finger through the letter box. Not blaming Milton for this, of course.

- | -

We're trying to carry this on over here if you'd be so kind, lambethlad.

- | -

I woudl be interested to find out views on which one of teh 2 following options people here prefer, bearing in mind that very few politicians these days seem to be able to resist '3rd party endorsements'.

Assuming both are under the heading 'Why local people are supporting me'

OPTION 1:
Using pictures of real people saying why they are supporting the politician. with their name and where they live.

OPTION 2:
Using Initials of Person and where they live saying why they are supporting thE politician.

KEY DIFFERENCES:
Photo or no photo.
Name or just initials

- | -

"Third party" endorsements carry weight only when real members of Joe Public make them. It follows that a photograph, name and locality should accompany their endorsement. There is the rub. An ordinary voter would not wish to be so identified, hence the leaflets issued on behalf of candidates of all parties tend to rely on staged managed smiling faces of party workers posing as happy members of the public, or in Anne Milton's case, foolishly, local councillors.

- | -

I'm not trying to goad you Tim, I'm concerned for your health & state of mind. Is it the leaflet before the post election address prior to the pre election post final address that came after the last Election communication you refer to. Or was it the one after that?

It's your site; your accusations; your spin on events. You need to prove that local issues leaflets are being sent exclusively to Tory members or accept your claims are wrong.

It is not for us residents and electors to prove anything to the contrary, when we in fact have nothing to do with what the Tories are or aren't doing.

Whether we support the Tories or not is a private matter and I would ask that you respect peoples right to privacy. Ironic you and the Liberals oppose ID Cards yet are obsessed with personalities and identity.

Oh, and silence or non rebuttal does not equate to an acceptance of your point of view. It means: you are unsuccesful in bullying people into providing you with information; the point is not worth responding to as it's groundless, irrelevant, crackers, boring or may prolong a debate unnecrssarily.

- | -

Is it the leaflet before the post election address prior to the pre election post final address that came after the last Election communication you refer to. Or was it the one after that?

This does nothing to improve my state of mind. In English please. Oh, and if your overall comment is about surgery details, you're in the wrong thread.

- | -

This post has been removed by a blog administrator.

- | -

Wow! Our first comment spam.

*plonk*

- | -

We have to be pacient with him at the moment, and hope chris gets round in time to give him a big hug!

You seem to have a strange fascination with this... a fantasy maybe?

Closet gay... outspoken... has to be a Tory ;) I guess we'll all just have to be "pacient". :)

- | -

Now, now Chris - let's not join the Notories in their homophobic overtones.

PS - A poker night at my place real soon. Get in touch for details. Cheers.

- | -

Hey Guys, the Tories seem to have got their act together and managed to displace Tim's entry for Ms Milton in Google to third place. Get on to it, Tim!!

- | -

Bizarre. Its back to no: 1

- | -

Ironically, the more Tories continue to feed the site new data (as pointless and evasive as it may be), the more they contribute to its long-term success in search engines. It's a relevance thing.

- | -

Chris,

Your comment regarding gays is revealing. One, you cannot keep to the subject. Two, as a Liberal Democrat spokesperson (by your own admission) you seem to infer that closet gay, outspoken people have to be Tories. This I think reveals the true hypocrisy and prejudice of your argument and the ugly face of Liberal Democrat hate campaign.

I’m advised by a Tory friend your comments are noted, saved and forming a Press Release as we speak. Is this the real face of the Liberal Democrats – prejudiced to the core. For someone who is concerned about discrimination, you seem to turn the other cheek when it comes to homophobic branding.

Tories come in all shapes, colour, creed, religion, sex and sexuality. I feel your comments are a disgrace. Students on their return to campus will be reminded of your outdated comments. Shame on you.

- | -

This post has been removed by a blog administrator.

- | -

A vicious Lib Dem campaign of hate and bile.

For once Tim, your out of it - I take your word that your no Lib Dem. You recognised the seriousnes of Chris's homophobic remark too in your post - that is enough for me. Chris, can you explain your remarks on behalf of the Liberal Democrats that you publicly represent?

- | -

*plonk*

bye-bye Nimmo.

I’m advised by a Tory friend your comments are noted, saved and forming a Press Release as we speak.

1. Ahahahahahahahahaha! You really are desperate, aren't you?
2. tomtom started it - and then went on and on about it, and you know that.
3. Would that be the Tory friend at the desk next to yours?

- | -

voice-mail: My comment should have come complete with an emoticon. And I feel Chris's comments regarding closet gays is completely valid.

There's nothing wrong with being gay, Chris didn't say there was anything wrong about being gay. What Chris refers to here is hypocrisy on the 'family values' front. And you know that, too.

- | -

If Chris thinks Tom Tom is a closet gay. Would Chris like to explain who Tom Tom is? He clearly knows something more about Tom Tom that we don't?

- | -

Hehe, I thought I'd get this sort of backlash.

I'm gay myself. So nice try labelling me "homophobic". ;)

- | -

I suggest you ask the gay community at UniS regarding my remarks. They seem to have been quite satisfied with the way I represented them last year as their LGBT officer.

Interesting how people make presumptions on what's homophobic and what isn't, when they haven't a clue what it's like to be the person receiving the discrimination.

Oh, and I never said I'm a Lib Dem spokesman, and if you feel that my comments are worthy of a press release, then you really are thin on the ground of things to say.

Perhaps I could collect all the outrageous things said by a certain other Tory ex-student at UniS and stuff that into a press-release? The reason why I don't... because people don't really care.

- | -

*cough*
*splutter*

But.... but... but.. you're never at the meetings!

Well, voice-mail had plenty of time to bleat about this, but he still hasn't managed to answer a straightforward question regarding his claims about receiving surgery details in the other thread.

Speaks volumes, really. Anything to avoid answering the question.

Oh, and voice-mail has outed himself (if you'll pardon the term) as having a close association with a Conservative office in the process.

Nice one.

- | -

Hehe, I wouldn't expect a response for a while yet Tim. I'll guess they're feeling rather stupid right now. ;)

- | -

Such a shame. And they were doing so well* up until now.

(*This is a lie.)

Now seems as good time a time as any to close down comments for the day. They're obviously not going to answer any questions about the Tory newsletter and I have work to do.

Satsuma, anyone?

- | -

Post a Comment

Links to this post

Create a Link

About me

    Hi. I'm Tim. I live in Guildford. I've built a few political weblogs here and there. If you're wondering why I decided to start this particular blog, click here.

Pluggage

    Save the Royal Surrey

Reference

Blogroll

Archives

Powered by Blogger
and Blogger Templates