Focus on future (From York Press)

Focus on future

9:18am Tuesday 6th October 2009 in

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Survey after survey consistently shows that the public does not trust politicians. This lack of trust is as low as it has ever been. The public are desperate for a new kind of politics and those politicians with the courage and integrity to speak honestly are often enormously popular, no matter which party they are from.

In this light, Coun Tracey Simpson-Laing’s letter (Tory “wolf” or change we need?, October 3) is extraordinary. Rather than speaking of the future she speaks of the past. Rather than offering solutions, she offers problems. Rather than building consensus she reinforces divides.

Barack Obama’s successful electoral approach was to speak of hope; Coun Simpson-Laing uses fear and threats. She said nothing at all about her own party’s policies, preferring instead to ludicrously caricature those of her rivals.

Was it only for reasons of space that she didn’t warn us that the Tories would boil our babies and eat them for breakfast?

I’m not a member of any political party, and I don’t know which party I’m going to vote for at the next General Election.

But I do know this much: I will not support any candidate who is incapable of presenting their own clear agenda for government. And I expect that presentation to be straightforward, honest and focused on the future.

Matthew Handy, East Parade, Harrogate.