Write to your MP?
Discussion
I was just wondering how many people who read and contribute to this site have actually written to their MP, telling them how they feel about speed detection techniques etc being employed against what are basically law abiding (except for motoring, in my case) votors?
I know for a fact if an MP recieves a substantial number of letters from hisher constituency they start to worry because for every 1 that can be bothered to write 20 don't. This effect can be clearly seen from the conservative parties lastest "removing speed cameras except in accident blackspots" if they get elected ploy. It is also about time this country had a motorist lobby to protect us very high tax contributing people against this back door tax collection scam.
alan :
:
I know for a fact if an MP recieves a substantial number of letters from hisher constituency they start to worry because for every 1 that can be bothered to write 20 don't. This effect can be clearly seen from the conservative parties lastest "removing speed cameras except in accident blackspots" if they get elected ploy. It is also about time this country had a motorist lobby to protect us very high tax contributing people against this back door tax collection scam.
alan :
:Writing to MP - good idea.
Motorists' lobby group - Association of British Drivers - www.abd.org.uk/
Motorists' lobby group - Association of British Drivers - www.abd.org.uk/
I correspond with ministers and my MP fairly frequently (more than 4 or so times a year).
Easiest way is to use www.faxyourmp.com
This cuts out most of the hassle.
Easiest way is to use www.faxyourmp.com
This cuts out most of the hassle.
I have started to write to my MP (faxyourmp as well) over the last year or so. I have found that my MP pretty much has similar views on all the subjects I write to him about so I can't get into a decent debate with him 
. He is currently the top respondant on faxyourmp and, according to their figures, replies to 100% of letters. Some other MP's are not so good at replying with the average being only about 55% of letters replied to.
. He is currently the top respondant on faxyourmp and, according to their figures, replies to 100% of letters. Some other MP's are not so good at replying with the average being only about 55% of letters replied to.
alans said:
I was just wondering how many people who read and contribute to this site have actually written to their MP, telling them how they feel about speed detection techniques etc being employed against what are basically law abiding (except for motoring, in my case) votors?
I know for a fact if an MP recieves a substantial number of letters from hisher constituency they start to worry because for every 1 that can be bothered to write 20 don't. This effect can be clearly seen from the conservative parties lastest "removing speed cameras except in accident blackspots" if they get elected ploy. It is also about time this country had a motorist lobby to protect us very high tax contributing people against this back door tax collection scam.
alan :
personaly i wouldent bothere writing to any of em
unless the note wraped round a brick.
Just sent this to my MP:
Dear Mr David Lidington,
I am writing to you to voice a number of concerns I have with a couple of issues:
1. Waiting Lists at Stoke Mandiville Hospital
My Dad was diagnosed with a hernia nearly two years ago and was told he needed an operation on it. It took nearly 12 months for him to see someone at the hospital to confirm what the doctor had told him.
It then took 6 months to get an appointment for the pre operation examination. He received confirmation for this on the Monday and then the appointment was cancelled on the Tuesday and he was told he was being moved off the Stoke Mandiville waiting list and onto the High Wycombe waiting list once again at the bottom.
Unfortunately once he did get to the appointment they told him they couldn't do the operation as he was also waiting for tests for suspected angina (Again a three month wait). He had these tests yesterday and they told he would need to go in for an additional test and he would be put on the waiting list for this.
As he had a heart attack 5 years ago I would have thought he would be a priority patient but I can understand the wait as the hospital while providing an excellent level of service is being crippled by inadequate funding and too much red tape.
What I don't understand is we as the public seem to be spending more and more on tax, NI and stealth tax (Do they think we don't notice) but services aren't improving, we seem just to be pouring money into a leaky bucket without any attempts to plug the holes.
2. Persecution of the motorist
This is another subject that winds me up, as a car driver who is new to the road having only passed my test three years ago but who has driven 40,000 miles and completed the Pass Plus course in that time. I have also got some advanced driving lessons booked for this summer. I see driving standards slipping but no attempt is made to stop this by increasing the attempt of traffic police on the roads, the governments response is Speed Kills lets put in a camera, this is WRONG, inappropriate speed kills but not speed alone.
Can these cameras catch drunk drivers - NO.
Can they catch people in stolen cars - NO.
Can they catch people who are uninsured - NO.
Can they catch people in cars that aren't taxed or have valid MOT's - NO.
Every time there is an accident the local council rubs its hands with glee, puts in a camera (Or should that be Scamera, s this is such a scam) and watches the cash roll in. Safety isn't improved by doing this, it just gets people's backs up.
If safety was the issue Bucks County Council and Co would replace these speed cameras, sorry "safety cameras" with road signs that flash up the speed of the car as it passes. This is much more effective in making people slow down but then they wouldn't make any money.
In the local area near the three schools in Wendover they have an issue with traffic when the schools are leaving as the road acts as a bottleneck, the councils response - we want to put in speed bumps to improve safety! You should go and witness it for yourself at 3:00 one afternoon just as the schools are leaving. The only reason speed is an issue here is because no one is moving as they have no where to go, what on earth would installing speed bumps prove?
Last Sunday there was a "Safety Partnership" van parked on the giratory system in Aylesbury with minimal marking and it had its camera facing down across the three lanes going DOWN the hill into Aylesbury. I thought these cameras were supposed to be used in accident black spots? I have seen the van here before even marked behind the bush facing the same way so that the cameras were just poking out over the bush. This proves to me that safety is NOT the issue and making as much cash as possible is!
3. University Fees
As a university student this is another issue that i am concerned with. I am currently projecting that at the end of my course I will owe £10,000 to the Student Loans Company when I finish. I am also paying all my fees myself for my four year course which works out at £3850.
The government is now attempting to throw me into further debt by attempting to allow the Universities to charge me what they like. Their excuse for this? I will potentially earn more in later life with a degree. However along with this greater earning power with comes the additional financial burden of paying more tax.
I voted for you and the conservatives at the last election and am planning to do so again if the objectives planned by yourselves are achievable and not just pre election spin. Whatever happens I don't ever intend to vote labour.
I look forward to your response,
Regards,
Phill Manson
Dear Mr David Lidington,
I am writing to you to voice a number of concerns I have with a couple of issues:
1. Waiting Lists at Stoke Mandiville Hospital
My Dad was diagnosed with a hernia nearly two years ago and was told he needed an operation on it. It took nearly 12 months for him to see someone at the hospital to confirm what the doctor had told him.
It then took 6 months to get an appointment for the pre operation examination. He received confirmation for this on the Monday and then the appointment was cancelled on the Tuesday and he was told he was being moved off the Stoke Mandiville waiting list and onto the High Wycombe waiting list once again at the bottom.
Unfortunately once he did get to the appointment they told him they couldn't do the operation as he was also waiting for tests for suspected angina (Again a three month wait). He had these tests yesterday and they told he would need to go in for an additional test and he would be put on the waiting list for this.
As he had a heart attack 5 years ago I would have thought he would be a priority patient but I can understand the wait as the hospital while providing an excellent level of service is being crippled by inadequate funding and too much red tape.
What I don't understand is we as the public seem to be spending more and more on tax, NI and stealth tax (Do they think we don't notice) but services aren't improving, we seem just to be pouring money into a leaky bucket without any attempts to plug the holes.
2. Persecution of the motorist
This is another subject that winds me up, as a car driver who is new to the road having only passed my test three years ago but who has driven 40,000 miles and completed the Pass Plus course in that time. I have also got some advanced driving lessons booked for this summer. I see driving standards slipping but no attempt is made to stop this by increasing the attempt of traffic police on the roads, the governments response is Speed Kills lets put in a camera, this is WRONG, inappropriate speed kills but not speed alone.
Can these cameras catch drunk drivers - NO.
Can they catch people in stolen cars - NO.
Can they catch people who are uninsured - NO.
Can they catch people in cars that aren't taxed or have valid MOT's - NO.
Every time there is an accident the local council rubs its hands with glee, puts in a camera (Or should that be Scamera, s this is such a scam) and watches the cash roll in. Safety isn't improved by doing this, it just gets people's backs up.
If safety was the issue Bucks County Council and Co would replace these speed cameras, sorry "safety cameras" with road signs that flash up the speed of the car as it passes. This is much more effective in making people slow down but then they wouldn't make any money.
In the local area near the three schools in Wendover they have an issue with traffic when the schools are leaving as the road acts as a bottleneck, the councils response - we want to put in speed bumps to improve safety! You should go and witness it for yourself at 3:00 one afternoon just as the schools are leaving. The only reason speed is an issue here is because no one is moving as they have no where to go, what on earth would installing speed bumps prove?
Last Sunday there was a "Safety Partnership" van parked on the giratory system in Aylesbury with minimal marking and it had its camera facing down across the three lanes going DOWN the hill into Aylesbury. I thought these cameras were supposed to be used in accident black spots? I have seen the van here before even marked behind the bush facing the same way so that the cameras were just poking out over the bush. This proves to me that safety is NOT the issue and making as much cash as possible is!
3. University Fees
As a university student this is another issue that i am concerned with. I am currently projecting that at the end of my course I will owe £10,000 to the Student Loans Company when I finish. I am also paying all my fees myself for my four year course which works out at £3850.
The government is now attempting to throw me into further debt by attempting to allow the Universities to charge me what they like. Their excuse for this? I will potentially earn more in later life with a degree. However along with this greater earning power with comes the additional financial burden of paying more tax.
I voted for you and the conservatives at the last election and am planning to do so again if the objectives planned by yourselves are achievable and not just pre election spin. Whatever happens I don't ever intend to vote labour.
I look forward to your response,
Regards,
Phill Manson
Lobbying your MP does have effect. I used to run a constituency (Conservative) in Bedfordshire and our MP, who was also the PPS to the PM at that time was very interested in constituents views and always followed through with complaints, including those in respect of the police. To give an example, my wife had a shop just off the main street in a certain town. She was plagued by vandalism and the windows were regularly broken. The local police told her that "the shop's in the wrong place!". I contacted the my MP and the next thing is that my wife got a personal call from the Assistent Chief Constable and a visit from a uniformed Chief Superintendant. The shop was placed under special surveillance and two yobs were prosecuted for criminal damage and ordered to pay restitution,. The vandalism stopped then. This is an example of MP power. I strongly urge you all to write and the sample letter already provided is exactly on the right lines. Copy it to each Chief Constable as well. DO IT NOW!
Enjoy the advanced driving! Cooperman said:
Lobbying your MP does have effect. I used to run a constituency (Conservative) in Bedfordshire and our MP, who was also the PPS to the PM at that time was very interested in constituents views and always followed through with complaints, including those in respect of the police. To give an example, my wife had a shop just off the main street in a certain town. She was plagued by vandalism and the windows were regularly broken. The local police told her that "the shop's in the wrong place!". I contacted the my MP and the next thing is that my wife got a personal call from the Assistent Chief Constable and a visit from a uniformed Chief Superintendant. The shop was placed under special surveillance and two yobs were prosecuted for criminal damage and ordered to pay restitution,. The vandalism stopped then. This is an example of MP power. I strongly urge you all to write and the sample letter already provided is exactly on the right lines. Copy it to each Chief Constable as well. DO IT NOW!
and an example of how useless old bill are.
with out em being leaned on
alans said:
Phil
Sorry about your dad, hope he gets well soon.
I had a similar problem with my son a couple of years ago, and ended up paying for him to go into a private hospital, the NEXT day.
Great letter though, and they do work.
alan
Cheers, he's fine most of the time, but if hes spends a day out in the garden it just about cripples him and he has to lie down.
The problems have only started since he's been on a diet and lost over a stone, the doc's changed his pills now so perhaps they were too strong for his sudden change in weight.
He used to have private health care, then he had the heart attack and they wouldn't touch him for less than £1500 per month!! This was five years ago so he might be less of a risk now but even so I would have thought the NHS would want to get him early to save any problems later on. Isn't prevention better than a cure?
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