Claims about listening event are unfounded (From Swindon Advertiser)

Claims about listening event are unfounded

12:14pm Thursday 20th September 2007 in Letters

I HAVE refrained from responding to the many vitriolic letters regarding my ID listening event as I believe your readers will make up their own minds on the increasingly hysterical nature of the correspondence.

However, Alistair Flockhart's letter (SA, September 19) contains a number of inaccuracies which I would like to correct.

All my constituents who have requested a place have been offered one, as well as several people who are not constituents. No one has been denied access in the manner that Mr Flockhart claims.

I find it ironic that in holding a meeting with a Government Minister to give my constituents an opportunity to discuss ID issues, I am criticised by the very group that criticised me for not doing so in the first place.

There has been no attempt to pre-select the audience. I issued invitations from a very wide ranging list comprising those who have registered an interest in my work in Parliament and those who have written to me regarding the ID card issue.

Members of the Labour Party are informed of all my listening events as a matter of course.

A SNELGROVE MP (Lab, South Swindon).

Swindon