Now, I've never actually met Susan. I have, of course, heard about her and most of what I have heard has been positive. She represents her community on both the Parish and County councils and she's been consistent in her opposition to the RSS proposals for her area.
She got in to a little bit of trouble last year when she, allegedly, made some rather unfortunate comments about the ladies attending a keep fit class for new mums in Corfe Mullen.
Susan has a web site, and she's a bit upset about last month's meeting to coordinate opposition to the RSS across SE Dorset.
Aparently the guest list 'read like a Tory cocktail party'. Despite the fact that there were councillors there from each of the political parties on Bournemouth Borough Council, two Liberal Democrat Councillors and our own Liberal Democrat MP.
Unfortunately for Susan, there were quite a number of Conservatives, but that simply reflects that each of the authorities in South East Dorset are Conservative controlled. Therefore it's hardly surprising that a meeting to which the leaders of each of the councils were invited should include quite a number of Conservatives.
Susan goes on:
"At this meeting all sorts of protest actions were discussed and agreed and Nick King seems to be hailing himself the lead protester for the RSS.
May we remind the Tories that when the response to the original RSS was debated in March 2006, ...... the Tory administration in Bournemouth ..... supported the proposals for urban extensions into the Green Belt."
What Susan has conveniently forgotten is that the administration in Bournemouth at that time was a Liberal Democrat one. The did indeed support development of the Green Belt and continued to do so up until the elections in May 2007.
I was elected to Bournemouth Council in December 2005 on a clear platform of opposing Green Belt development. Indeed it was the main issue in the by election as the Liberal Democrats were supporting then and continued to support development on green belt sites in my ward. I think it goes some way to explaining how I won the by election, gaining the seat from the Lib Dems, with almost two thirds of the vote and how that majority was increased further in the elections last year.
Everyone has now come on board with opposition to the RSS plans. Some have altered positions they previously held, including Bournemouth's Liberal Democrats and the Conservatives on Dorset County Council.
It's absolutely shameful that Susan is trying to make a party political points out of this. We are all working together to oppose these dreadful plans that threaten to change the character of our area for ever.
Stop playing politics Susan and work with everyone to fight the proposals when the Secretary of State announces them next week.
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