Great debate brings politicians to business people - but where were they?
Comments |
It was a shame that barely 20 business people turned up for
a fascinating pre-election hustings by three candidates bidding to
succeed Ann Widdecombe as MP for Maidstone and the Weald.
The Federation of Small Businesses in Kent and Medway has done a
magnificent job organising similar Meet the Candidates events
across the county.
They are not easy to arrange - the candidates are busy people
and need to be persuaded that their precious electioneering time is
well spent. FSB people like Roger House, Andrew Aves and local
branch chairs have done really well.
I heard that the other meetings have attracted big audiences,
with, in most cases, all the candidates turning up.
But I fear that the Mid Kent Branch event might have attracted
the lowest attendance of all the hustings.
That’s a pity for branch chairman Ivan White who did his best to
whip up support from the branch’s thousand members. Shame on those
who did not bother to turn up at the Russell Hotel.
Three of the five candidates showed up - Helen
Grant (Con), Peter Carroll (Lib Dem) and Stuart Jeffery
(Green).
Labour and UKIP were otherwise engaged.
It was a generally low-key debate, with Carroll, fresh from his
Gurkha triumph with Joanna Lumley, providing most of the
soundbites. Like his leader Nick Clegg in the first television
debate with David Cameron and Gordon Brown, he perhaps shaded
it.
But the business people were not so happy with his support for
Labour’s planned National Insurance hike. He claimed it was the
lesser of two evils, with a Vat rise the other alternative. Helen
Grant was resolutely opposed, calling it a tax on jobs. She was in
the minority when Stuart Jeffery backed the Carroll line. They
united in attacking Southeaster for Maidstone’s downgraded railway
links with London.
At least, Carroll and Grant speak the same language as business,
having been there, done that. Carroll owned haulage firm Seymour
Transport until selling out to Devon haulier Evans Transport. With
husband Simon, solicitor Grant has run a family law firm in Croydon
for several years. Even Jeffery had been a banker before turning to
nursing.
His reason for getting out of the bank was interesting. "I could
not help people who needed money, only those who didn’t." Plus ca
change!
Wednesday, April 21 2010
The KM Group does not moderate comments.
Please click here for our house rules.