I AM grateful to Mrs Thornton (Letters, April 23) for pointing out that my 'It's time for a change' video is being distributed to the voters in York whom, I believe, have yet to decide how to vote.
This election is characterised by three types of response on the doorstep here in the city.
Apathy towards the whole political process, which is why I produced a video.
Fury over Iraq and towards Blair for the country to go to war on the false premise that we were in danger of a chemical attack within 45 minutes. And fury towards Hugh Bayley for agreeing not to sanction war unless the whole Security Council ratified the decision with another UN resolution, and then voting with the Government once he returned to London.
And finally, political visibility. York deserves a more dynamic and higher profile MP, as befits our city. Hugh Bayley is a charming man, but after 13 years less than half his constituents know him.
Only last Wednesday he conveniently avoided a hustings event at which he was always likely to receive a difficult reception.
Let's face it, there are only five public hustings and he could have attended each one.
Neither am I being a party partisan about this issue. In Parliament he is known by his own backbench colleagues as Hughly Boring.
Unfair? Not really.
The Parliamentary digest lists him as one of Labour's most predictable MPs. He has voted the same way as Tony Blair on every issue. Earlier in the year he intervened in an important Prime Minister's Question Time on Iraq, to ask a question about chewing gum. Even Tony Blair laughed. York deserves better than that.
I can do better.
Clive Booth,
York's Conservative candidate,
Ash Street, York.
Updated: 10:50 Friday, April 29, 2005
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