We have taken the decision to publish this letter online (and others) as it was sent to the Lincolnshire Echo Editor following their decision recently to publish a letter from a Labour supporter which contained various unsubstantiated attacks and erroneous information and contrary to previous such letters concerning political opponents, was NOT given the right of reply (The Echo ‘Lawyers' must have been on holiday, how inconsistent of them.)
This letter was the only one of the supportive four letters (we were copied in to) that has been published offering a contrary view to that put forward by the Lincoln Labour Party. We are aware of at least one other hard copy letter and there may be others, only the Echo would know...
Dear Editor,
I read in last week’s letters page that someone from the Labour Party has an axe to grind with Lincoln’s Member of Parliament Karl McCartney over his decision to move his family outside the constituency boundary of Lincoln. The previous Labour MP lived outside of the City from the moment she was selected from an all women shortlist. Whilst the Conservatives knew where her house was no-one from our Party ever harassed her, threatened to harm or kill her, nor were her windows broken with regularity after the General Election. The Labour Party in Lincoln know full well that the local police have been involved in a number of incidents at Mr McCartney’s property since Mr. McCartney was elected to represent our City, and at various times the Police have urged and advised his family, when he was away in Westminster, to leave their home for safety reasons, and eventually a panic button was installed in their house by the Lincolnshire Police. Ultimately our City’s MP was faced with seeking to minimise the risk to his young family and wife from those on the left of the political spectrum: stop doing the job as our MP he enjoys and does well on our behalf, wait for something serious to happen to his family or himself, or move his family away from danger. He and his family chose, as any sane person would, to remove themselves from their property.
Faced with such a situation, I believe he and his family have made exactly the right decision, although not an easy one for many reasons. I have always found Karl to be a down to earth type of guy and he is always in and around Lincoln meeting with constituents, charities, business and organisations and individuals, because being a good constituency MP matters to him. I don’t think an arbitrary line on an electoral map changes his desire to work to the best of his ability on his constituents’ behalf, and for the benefit of the City he and his family love.
Your faithfully
Rachel Storer
Lincoln