Letter to Newham Recorder

Dear Editor

East Ham Tory Chair, Neil Pearce,  is entitled to criticise our West Ham MP, Lyn Brown, for what he apparently believes to be her “politicising” of Remembrance Sunday (letters 1 Dec).  But does he really have to use such personal language?  He describes her comments as  being “disgusting”  and “really sickening” and then makes a series of partisan political points himself? 

Let us remember that Lyn was suggesting very gently in her column that those who choose to wear the poppy in a very political way - in China of all places (The Prime Minster David Cameron during his recent visit) should at very least pay the war widows what they deserve - because war widows and the rest of us are going to suffer for the cuts they are imposing on benefits and public services. She was adding her voice to a campaign to protect the vulnerable, those who have already lost so much, and get the Government to pull back from their policy of below inflation increases for war widows and others in receipt of pensions. Mr Pearce would be better engaged in assisting in that campaign.

Can I suggest that if in the future he or anyone thinks that Lyn has got something wrong that they write to her first pointing out their concerns.  If they are not satisfied with her response then by all means they could bring it to the attention of a wider audience without hopefully making Remembrance Sunday itself a focus for petty political abuse and a failed exercise of point scoring

Your faithfully

John Gray

West Ham Labour Party Agent

(published 15 December 2010)