what nonsense

It’s always nice to know that your local parliamentary representative respects you. That they will take your serious questions seriously, and explain to you why they’re taking the stands they’re taking.

I guess that’s why I was somewhat taken aback to receive an email from Jane Griffiths MP (Reading East) this morning containing just two words (aside from quoted material):

What nonsense

She was responding to an email I had sent asking what I considered a perfectly legitimate question about manifestos. I had asked whether they were supposed to tell us what legislation a government would bring in during the parliamentary session to which they applied. I may have made a passing comment that if the line she and Blair are taking ["the manifesto only applies to things which take effect during this parliament" (I paraphrase)] is the case then they could write whatever they liked in their manifesto and introduce entirely contrary legislation with some sort of time-delay.

Maybe that struck a little too close to home? Maybe she was striving for consistency and wanted to treat me a bit like she treated Martin?

At least we can enjoy the fact that she’s already been deselected.

[update: apparently the deselection isn't as final as I thought, or so this article seems to suggest not.]