An open letter to the Liberal Democrat candidate for North East Somerset

Gail,

Thank you for your recent letter addressed to my wife and delivered to our house. I can confirm that your open letter also reached my mother and grandmother. The title "open letter to women" was most definitely eye catching.

I have to admit that, despite being a man, I have read the letter. Twice. Both when my mother forced it into my hand when I visited her one day (as she couldn't believe some of the things implied in the letter, whether intended or not) and after it was delivered to my wife.

As it was an open letter, I hope you don't mind me replying in kind.

I admire your stance that there should be more women within Parliament, however, I am uncomfortable with this being turned into an election issue by stating "please note that I am the only woman standing for one of the main parties in the North East Somerset constituency in the forthcoming General Election". I sincerely hope that people will vote for the best candidate for the role, not merely because of their gender.

Personally, I don't want to vote for someone within the next few months and then only hear from them again when they need my vote in four or five years time.

I now must jump back up the letter slightly. You opened it with "as a woman who has brought up a family, had a career and supported elderly parents, I want to tell you about my concerns, achievement and priorities for the women of North East Somerset".

Fair enough. But as a man who is bringing up a family and managing a career in the area, I would love to hear your priorities for me. Are they different to your priorities for the women of North East Somerset?

I've got to be honest Gail, I think the open letter you sent could be portrayed as an own goal. It is our first contact before the forthcoming election, and I fear a more general letter would have served your purposes better, with a more gender specific one later in the campaign. My mother was left with the distinct impression that you were implying "I'm a woman, you're a woman, I think that there should be more women within Parliament, therefore you should vote for me".

Whether you intended this or not, I'm sure you'll agree that unless your speaking in person, the meaning of your words (whether via email or letter) can be misunderstood and the message lost.

Now that I've had that rant, I want to cover some of the priorities you listed within your letter, as I will presume that it's safe to assume that they will be the same for men.

It is Liberal Democrat policy to scrap tuition fees for all students on degree courses

I currently have over £15,000 of student loan debt, so I am well aware of the current issues of student debt, which is of course even worse for some due to the introduction of top up fees. However, I am unsure how this will be funded, and furthermore whether it is fair that all university education is funded by the taxpayer. Is there case for a middle ground where some of the cost is met, particularly by wealthier families, with more support targeted at those from poorer backgrounds?

Secondly, do you subscribe to the view that 50% of young people should attend university?

I was proud of Nick Clegg in his support of Joanna Lumley's campaign on behalf of the Ghurkas


I feel that a battle has been won but not the war, so to speak. I am not an expert on the subject but have read reports that Gurkhas have great difficulty coming to this country and receiving support once here. Is there more to be done?

Climate change affects us all


Yes, according to scientific consensus it does, and I'm willing to do my part. However, I can't help but feel that a lot of the focus is on the household and not companies, who must by far contribute to much more damage that households. Time after time I walk or drive past offices at night with every single light in the building left on, but no one working. Is there a case to target businesses more, including in the reduction of packaging? (which I don't think can merely be consumer led)

Within households, what is your position on charging based on the amount of waste they send to landfill, and do you support the use of chipping bins to monitor waste levels?

Liberal Democrats wants affordable bus and train fares


Public transport has long been a bugbear of mine, it is always mentioned by any candidate for any democratic role, but little ever seems to happen. Therefore I would love to hear your proposals in more depth as I'm afraid without this I find this just a hollow election pledge.

Your views matter to me


You also indicated that you wanted to hear our views, and I'm more than happy to oblige. I have several concerns moving into the next election that I am interested in, and as I have no affiliation to any political party will be asking this to all local candidates with the aim of voting for the person that best suits mine and my family's needs.

1) Do you feel that the current paternity leave entitlement is fair?
2) Do you feel that a woman should be allowed to return to work and her partner take over her remaining maternity leave so that she can resume her career if that suits their circumstances?
3) Do you support the reform of libel laws in England and Wales, and if so what will you do to further the cause?
4) Do you believe that schools should be allowed to determine admission based on religious belief?
5) Do you agree with faith schools, and that children should be encouraged to take part in morning assembly with a religious slant?
6) Are you in favour of the current academy system introduced by New Labour, and do you believe that academies should be allowed to set their own curriculum?
7) Should schools be allowed to teach creationism as an equivalent theory to evolution?
8) Do you believe that religious belief should be legally protected from ridicule?
9) Should Sharia law be allowed as an alternative system within UK law?
10) Should an independent government adviser whose views in their area of expertise conflict with government policy be able to express those views publicly without fear of being sacked? (I am of course referring to the case of Professor David Nutt)
11) Furthermore, should policy-makers trust scientific evidence even when it appears counter-intuitive?
12) Should religious leaders be entitled to vote in the House of Lords?
13) Do you support the use of public funds to provide unproven alternative “treatments” such as homeopathy?
14) Do you agree with the Digital Economy Bill in its current format?

I appreciate that there are a lot of questions, however as I have intimated I will ask all candidates these, as they are important to me personally. Therefore I look forward to your response.

Kind regards,

Robert Weeks