Cable response

To the Richmond & Times, 29th April 2009,

It appears that my letter to your paper dated 8th April rattled our LibDem MP sufficiently for him to write his rather vicious response, which you published on 24th April 2009.

As I have sadly come to expect from the current administration, it was filled with smear, innuendo and half-truths designed to deflect attention from the reasonable questions I asked about use of taxpayer funds in politics. Dr Cable conveniently omitted to mention that the previous Liberal Democrat MP for Richmond Park claimed a housing allowance totalling over £64,000 between 2001 – 2005 alone. (These figures are found on: http://www.theyworkforyou.com/peer/baroness_tonge#expenses, under “Additional Costs Allowance”)

Perhaps Dr Cable would like to confirm to his electorate that he has never claimed a housing allowance since being elected in 1997?

In addition, Dr Cable deliberately misleads in his letter, by stating that he only claims the Communications Allowance for office equipment, as if that is fine, when office equipment has always been reclaimable under previous allowances.

Most significantly, Dr Cable attempts to misrepresent my position in your paper with reference to an article I recently wrote “attacking” my party leadership. In order to set the record straight, I have published the article in full on my website: www.deborah4twickenham.com, under “Articles”. For those residents who do not have access to the internet, my office will happily send you a copy if you call 0208 878 7866 and ask for “ConHome Article”.

Finally, whilst Dr Cable has been setting up home in the nation’s television studios, his absence locally on the debates about the highest increase in council tax in London, the Riverside development fiasco, the Regal House redevelopment and the unfair CO2 parking taxes, all of which are being implemented by his Party, is being increasingly noticed.

I will therefore not take lectures on hibernation from an MP more concerned about his media career than the people he is supposed to be representing.

Deborah Thomas
Conservative Parliamentary Candidate for Twickenham

Deborah Thomas Contact me
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