I HAVE sent this letter to Rachel Maclean, MP for Redditch.
As you know the cross party Parliamentary Standards Committee called for Owen Paterson to be suspended for 30 sitting days after discovering that he lobbied on behalf of companies whose payroll he is on.
This is against Parliamentary Standards.
The report said the former Northern Ireland Secretary had breached Commons rules 18 times by lobbying government bodies for Randox and Lynn’s Country Foods, which employed him as a paid consultant for more than £100,000 a year and described the MP’s actions as “an egregious case of paid advocacy”.
MPs voted by 250 to 232, a majority of 18, to approve an amendment to consider reforming the House of Commons standards system and prevent the immediate suspension of Owen Paterson.
You were among the 250 MPs who toed the line and voted to approve the amendment.
Dozens of your colleagues abstained and 13 had the courage and principles to rebel and vote against the amendment.
As the BBC’s Laura Kuenssberg said: “Given that Boris Johnson has become fond of football metaphors lately: one of their team was given a serious red card, but rather than follow the decision, they’ve decided to sack the referee and the player can finish the match.”
Do you seriously believe that you voted the way your constituents would expect you to?
After all, that is how you have explained many of your previous voting decisions.
N Braithwaite, Headless Cross
REGARDING the local Conservative MP in Redditch voting to water down sleaze rules in Parliament.
It is shameful that our local Conservative MP voted to water down rules aimed at preventing political sleaze.
Local constituents deserve better than this stitch up that is dragging our politics through the mud.
We’ve already seen this government wasting millions of pounds of taxpayers’ money, from dodgy Covid contracts to the refurbishment of Boris Johnson’s flat.
Tough rules and independent scrutiny are vital to prevent yet more sleaze scandals that end up with more public money being wasted.
Mark Tomes,
Chair Redditch and Inkberrow Liberal Democrats
I THINK we are all due an explanation from our MP Rachel Maclean as to why she voted to bypass the anti-sleaze rules of Parliament to save the neck of a Tory MP.
A man who was busy lobbying ministers on behalf of private industry while trousering £100,000 a year from them.
Come on Mrs Maclean, you were happy enough to chat about the menopause in last week’s Redditch Standard, how about a piece on the way you voted?
L Williams, Lakeside
IT COMES as no surprise to me that there was an incredibly low response to the consultation on the town centre conservation area (Redditch Standard).
I was one of the 13 people who read the 60 page document and summarised my views on that report.
It probably took me the best part of three hours.
Factor in the online-only nature of this consultation and it’s no wonder the public felt disenfranchised.
The low response doesn’t mean that Redditch people don’t care, or aren’t interested in preserving and improving the town centre.
It means the consultation failed to reach and engage those residents.
I hope the council will take lessons from this – if you want answers then you need to make sure the questions aren’t kept locked in a dusty corner of your corporate website in a file labelled ‘This will take you all afternoon’.
S Harvey, Southcrest
REGARDING Redditch Local History Museum.
Thanks to all those people who have made this project finally come to fruition, especially our honoured guest Pat Witherspoon who cut the tape and let us in.
To all those who have donated artefacts, to our volunteers, without whose help things would not have been possible, to local firms who have freely donated their skills and materials. and to all those who turned up and supported us on the day.
Lastly to all those people who have made financial donations and our sponsors.
One great big thank you to you all for your belief in us.
To anyone upset by my avid fundraising, I’m sorry. Just remember the old prayer – Thank you Lord for all we’ve had.. if there’s anymore, we’ll be very glad!
Many, Many thanks once again.
P Harris, Trustee Extortionist
WHAT a pleasure it was to visit the new Redditch Local History Museum and to see the marvellous results of so much hard work put in by the volunteers.
This is what Redditch needs, something to remind everyone of the rich heritage of the town, not the removal of a market which has been here for years, or ego trips involving knocking down a popular library.
I shall certainly return to the museum (on my way to the library!) on as many occasions as possible as I want to study the exhibits more closely, in particular the excellent model of Evesham Street.
I hope that everyone will visit the museum, those from ‘old’ Redditch who will reminisce, and possibly mourn, about what we once had, and those who never knew old Redditch who will possibly be surprised by its rich history.
Well done to all involved!
M Morley, Headless Cross
IS IT possible to find out who on earth set off fireworks at 6.20am this morning. Somewhere near the church green.
Very disrespectful to wake everyone up!
L Britton, Redditch
