OH NO. NOT AGAIN

Nick Smith, Lincoln and Gainsborough UKIP branch chairman with Karl McCartney, Lincoln Cons MP, and another bloke nicked from The Lincolnite which gives an excellent blow by blow account of what happened at tonight's local election in Lincoln.

Sadly, NuLabour won control of the council back by two seats and so we're in for another couple of years of hell.

The make up now is 15 NuConservatives, one Illiberal democrap and 17 Tyrants. If the one sitting libdem's seat was up for re-election this time, I think she would have lost it. All in all, however, they didn't do too badly and beat UKIP in six seats although not by much and we kicked their ass in three.

Yours Truly got the grand total of 151 votes. The TUC Against Cuts got 121, the Libdems got 236 (ouch) the Cons 619 and Lab 1052.

There were a few spoiled ballots in my ward and about five premature AVaculations. Some voters put candidates in order of preference, apparently thinking tonight was the night AV began rather than the night we voted on it. The returning officer said case law dictated they couldn't be taken into account. Turnout was just over 36%

I have no idea yet how I've done in North Kesteven where I'm also a candidate for a seat but no doubt I'll find out tomorrow unless it comes on TV soon.

Overall, it's been a great night for UKIP and a great election campaign. We learned a lot, got more professional and more interest in what we are doing and what we stand for.

Overall we got more votes than we've ever had and we had candidates standing in all wards. As soon as our feet touch normal again, we will be having a debriefing session to discuss how we can do even better next time.

* Oh No. I just heard. Coun Carl Mimms has lost his seat. Poor Hull. A City in joint suffering with the heavy spectre of Labour oppression ahead. Are the people of this country stark raving mad? Hopefully by next year they will have learned the error of their ways and turn back to voting for decent folk. Carl was definitely one of the good guys.

AN OPEN LETTER

Above is my reply from my MP Karl McCartney in response to my request that he support Brian Binley MP's EDM to amend the smoking ban.

Spoken like a true politician, he doesn't commit himself. He says he believes that landlords have the right to choose, yet he quotes the old statistics of the number of people who have allegedly quit up to 2007.

Mr McCartney, I would like to point out that we are three years on from the ban and smoking rates are rising.

this shows how NRT only has a "success" rate of 5% so hard pressed tax payers give the NHS a budget of £50 million and £47.5 million is a wasted. You see, Mr McCartney, there really are some people who do not want to quit and they should not be ignored.

This shows how deceitful the tobacco control lobby is and the underhanded methods they use to con government and the public. Will the Conservatives be stupid enough to fall for more of their lies?

And, yes, Mr McCartney, I do indeed feel very strongly about this issue but that should not invalidate my concerns. If strongly held views were a reason to dismiss such concerns, then how is it that the tobacco control industry - which feels very strongly about the issue - is always listened to yet the other side is always ignored.

You may say that smokers are fighting their corner because they are "addicts" this link clearly puts that lie to bed once for all. "Addiction" to tobacco is yet another lie of the deceitful anti-smoking industry which uses it to denigrate smokers and encourage intolerance against them.

Finally, Mr McCartney, I draw to your attention your immigration minister Damien Green's comments on calls to ban the burka. He said "freedom of choice and tolerance is the British way." I would like to think that you also ascribe to this view and are not selective about who is entitled to it and who is not. I actually agree with Mr Green and have always said I would fight for the right of muslim women to wear the burka if that is what they choose to do.

I find it encouraging that you say you believe in a landlord's right to choose, and I assume you also mean the smoker's right to choose, but hear what you say about EDM's not being the most effective way of achieving an aim. With this in mind, perhaps you would like to lend your support to FOREST'S Save Our Pubs and Clubs, amendthesmoking ban.com

Yours Sincerely,
Mrs Patricia Nurse.

WRITE TO KARL OR YOUR MP

Below is my letter to my local MP Karl McCartney. If you feel able to write to him or your own constituency MP in support of Brian Binley MP's EDM then please feel free to amend this to suit.


07 July 2010


Dear Mr McCartney,

I write as your constituent to ask that you support Brian Binley MP and his EDM on an amendment to the current blanket smoking ban. The details of Mr Binley’s motion can be found here :

EDM 406 (Review of smoking ban in pubs and clubs)

I would also ask to draw your attention to the two attached documents. One is a report following a speech I made at last year’s UKIP conference, on the public cost of Smoke Free and it’s effectiveness, and the other which contains musician Joe Jackson’s 10 reasons why the smoking ban is wrong.

You may recall that I have contacted you twice about this issue already. The first time was before the election and before Douglas Hogg, my former MP, retired. Several people had written to Mr Hogg protesting about the unfairness of the ban. I wanted to forward you those letters after Mr Hogg announced he was standing down but I was unable to get them back.

The second time I contacted you was to say that I would dearly have liked to have voted for you but for your Party’s silence on the smoking issue. I aligned my support with UKIP ultimately as the only party to say openly that they intended to treat smokers humanely. I know of other former Labour and Conservative smoker voters who have defected to UKIP solely on this issue. It really does matter.

I can also put you in touch with a former Lincoln pub landlady who did give Ms Merron a petition with hundreds of signatures against the ban that was ignored by the previous Govt.

I hope you will able to support the above EDM and I ask that you reply to my letter with your voting intentions. This will help me to decide who I support in the event of future elections in Lincoln.

Yours Sincerely,

Mrs Patricia Nurse.

You might also want to lift some figures from Dick out and about at F2C to add to your letter.