Conservative councillors hoping for re-election in Fenland have put a distance between themselves and MP Steve Barclay.
In a strangely worded ‘questionnaire’ sent to households across the district they have asked potential voters not to confuse local Conservatives with those at national level.
“We understand that some people are angry with the national government or political parties,” says question 12.
“But local party candidates are separate to those national issues and we are focused on helping local people and working hard in our local area”.
It then invites people to consider who they might vote in the local council elections in May “and as things stand what are the chances of you voting for each of the following parties”.
Tory councillor Steve Tierney (right) with MP Steve Barclay. Cllr Tierney believes voters should not confuse local Conservatives with the Conservative government. “Local party candidates are separate to those national issues,” says a questionnaire from Wisbech Conservatives.
They then list Labour, Liberal Democrat, Conservative, Reform, Green and Other, with householders inviting to use a scale of 0-10 ranging from ‘no chance of voting this party’ to ‘certain to vote for this party’.
The questionnaire also lists people’s preferences for PM, with Rishi Sunak, Kier (sic) Starmer, Boris Johnson and ‘Somebody Else’, again inviting an option to be written in for the ‘Somebody Else’.
Other questions include ‘Do you think we face a ‘climate emergency’ with 4 choices:
1: Climate change is deadly serious and everyone should do all they can to fight it
2: Climate change is an issue but only one of many
3: The climate does change but mankind has only a minor effect on it
4: I’m sceptical about many aspects of it.
Invited to list priorities these range from schools, support with the cost of living and the NHS to cancel culture and risk of ‘woke’ ideas, a programme of community events to protecting Ukraine from Russian aggression.
At the bottom of the questionnaire, it says ‘The Conservative Party uses the information for the purposes of democratic engagement.”
To stop further leaflets, residents are invited to log in to www.conservatives.com/privacy.
The questionnaire has the imprint ‘promoted by Samantha Hoy on behalf of Wisbech Conservatives and published by the NE Cambs Association from their office in March where Cllr Hoy is organizing secretary. It has been printed by a firm in Leicester.
The office is next to the constituency office of Mr Barclay.
