Former MP to return (From Daily Echo)
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Former Romsey MP Sandra Gidley to return to politics
4:20am Tuesday 25th September 2012 in News
Sandra Gidley
FORMER MP Sandra Gidley is set to return to the political battleground – against the father of the Tory MP who defeated her.
The Liberal Democrat is planning to contest the Romsey Extra ward held by Coun Roy Perry, father of Caroline Nokes , in May’s county council election.
Ms Gidley, who had been MP for Romsey since 2000, lost the redrawn Romsey and Southampton North seat to Ms Nokes in the 2010 General Election . It could pave the way for another crack at the next General Election in 2015.
Speaking at the Lib Dem conference in Brighton she told the Daily Echo she was happy party leader Nick Clegg had apologised over the tuition fees U-turn, but felt it had been a “fudge” because he had said sorry for promising to scrap them, not for voting in favour of an increase.
The former MP said she supported the coalition, although was unhappy when the Lib Dems supported “barking mad” policies like selling off the forests.
Asked whether Mr Clegg should lead the party into the next General Election she said: “Let’s be honest. It’s not an A+ all the way on the report card. But we have to balance that against what we have achieved, and we have to campaign on that.”
Other Hampshire activists gave a cautious backing to their leader.
Winchester City Councillor Martin Tod , who had been an outspoken critic of the Lib Dems’ support for controversial NHS reforms, said: “I am glad Nick has apologised. I signed the pledge too, and to me, if you make a promise you do your damndest to deliver it.
Eastleigh councillor Steve Sollitt, chairman of the South Central Lib Dem region, said: “I do not think the party needs a new leader.
“Obviously there have been issues, but we’ve worked constructively in the last two-and-a-half years and have to move forward now.”
And David Goodall , the Lib Dems’ police commissioner candidate for Hampshire, added: “I do not see any problem with the leadership at the moment.
“There have been difficulties, but that was because we are in coalition with the Conservatives .”
Mr Goodall, who stood against John Denham in Southampton Itchen in 2010, said he would have refused to vote for a rise in tuition fees had he been elected to Parliament.
Comments(19)
loosehead
says...
7:02am Tue 25 Sep 12
Georgem
says...
9:12am Tue 25 Sep 12
loosehead wrote:She's doing two jobs. What's your point?
What this council wage first & then on to Parliament & get another wage as she's quite happy to receive both if memory serves me right
AndyAndrews
says...
10:15am Tue 25 Sep 12
Linesman
says...
10:29am Tue 25 Sep 12
Georgem wrote:The point is, which job would come first?
loosehead wrote:She's doing two jobs. What's your point?
What this council wage first & then on to Parliament & get another wage as she's quite happy to receive both if memory serves me right
If there were an important debate in the Council and an important one in the House of Commons, which would she attend?
Bartat
says...
10:30am Tue 25 Sep 12
There's not much to choose between them as far as taking us all for a ride is concerned.
Bikes come to mind - Tebbit says on yer bike - Mitchell's told to get off his bike. Hampshire's the place for them - miles of unused cycle tracks hereabouts!
hulla baloo
says...
10:33am Tue 25 Sep 12
Georgem
says...
11:14am Tue 25 Sep 12
Linesman wrote:Fair enough. That is a point. Whining about someone getting two salaries, isn't.
Georgem wrote:The point is, which job would come first?
loosehead wrote:She's doing two jobs. What's your point?
What this council wage first & then on to Parliament & get another wage as she's quite happy to receive both if memory serves me right
If there were an important debate in the Council and an important one in the House of Commons, which would she attend?
Bartat
says...
11:18am Tue 25 Sep 12
HillsidePaul
says...
11:50am Tue 25 Sep 12
Between the two of them, and with no other candidate likely to get anywhere in this area it looks like a p*#s poor choice for the voters of Romsey extra.
loosehead
says...
12:03pm Tue 25 Sep 12
Georgem wrote:Georgem please explain to me how she can be in London & here at the same time?
Linesman wrote:Fair enough. That is a point. Whining about someone getting two salaries, isn't.
Georgem wrote:The point is, which job would come first?
loosehead wrote:She's doing two jobs. What's your point?
What this council wage first & then on to Parliament & get another wage as she's quite happy to receive both if memory serves me right
If there were an important debate in the Council and an important one in the House of Commons, which would she attend?
She was claiming a wage here but never attended meetings that she was paid for.
I have nothing against people who take on two jobs but they don't try to do both at the same time do they?
Paramjit Bahia
says...
12:24pm Tue 25 Sep 12
One reject from European Parliament other from Parliament in London.
Only difference will be London reject was found out with shameless soft spot for armed band robbers and equally shameless when it came to claiming expenses.
Comrades in Coalition fighting each other? If fight not fixed then it could be like snake fight, which if real makes spectators ask if one snake bites another which one gets poisoned?
SaintDon13
says...
2:17pm Tue 25 Sep 12
MisterGrimsdale
says...
7:17am Wed 26 Sep 12
OSPREYSAINT
says...
9:17am Wed 26 Sep 12
MisterGrimsdale wrote:Are you not one of those nasty old rich people then?
Ah Mrs Doubtfire is back. Protector of the human rights of armed bank robbers. Nice fluffy public sector jobs for all then, and we'll get those nasty old rich people to pay for them all. Yes that will work.
loosehead
says...
9:55am Wed 26 Sep 12
If you people in Romsey are that gullible to vote for her again more fool you
The Wickham Man
says...
10:28am Wed 26 Sep 12
OSPREYSAINT wrote:In the Norman Wisdom film I saw he was in charge of Grimsdale's Dairies, so I guess that's a yes.
MisterGrimsdale wrote:Are you not one of those nasty old rich people then?
Ah Mrs Doubtfire is back. Protector of the human rights of armed bank robbers. Nice fluffy public sector jobs for all then, and we'll get those nasty old rich people to pay for them all. Yes that will work.
Pomerol
says...
12:59pm Tue 23 Oct 12
Bartat wrote:Now now Bartat - you sound like a disgruntled Tory activist who cannot get his own way so throws the toys out the pram.
Looks like she needs two jobs because that's a very old photo or a very old jacket. Anyway, what's wrong with multiple jobs? Her buddy Mark Cooper has three hats and would dearly have loved to added a fourth, with an MP's as well. But Mrs Noke's has the beret and is off on another jaunt to Canada this time - never tells us much about her foreign trips in the Echo or Advertiser does she?
There's not much to choose between them as far as taking us all for a ride is concerned.
Bikes come to mind - Tebbit says on yer bike - Mitchell's told to get off his bike. Hampshire's the place for them - miles of unused cycle tracks hereabouts!
I'd say there is a considerable difference between Mrs. Gidley (who clearly had no qualms about maxing out her taxpayer funded expenses) and Caroline Nokes who is the 4th cheapest MP in Hampshire (despite having a largely rural constituency), and who costs a very great deal less than Mrs. Gidley did to house and staff!
Pomerol
says...
1:02pm Tue 23 Oct 12
Bartat wrote:indeed Bartat - MPs should treat expenses as 'not their money', as should those political activists who put pressure on MPs to misuse expenses for political purposes, as I understand sometimes happens.
We've already been there when she was an MP and TVBC Councillor. We know already how she treats expenses. That's part of the reason she lost her seat! She didn't read or follow the rules. Don't forget when you go to the polls!
loosehead says...
7:02am Tue 25 Sep 12