By-election candidates challenged to give their views on the Ukraine/Russia conflict

DO THEY BELIEVE THE GOVERNMENT’S INTERVENTIONALIST POLICIES HAVE BACKFIRED AND CREATED AN ECONOMIC CRISIS?

ONLY A MINORITY OF CANDIDATES HAD THE COURAGE TO GIVE THEIR VIEWS ON THE MOST IMPORTANT POLITICAL ISSUE AFFECTING STRETFORD AND URMSTON CONSTITUENTS.

 

The following email was sent to all nine by-election candidates, with a number of reminders.

It is self- explanatory.

Essentially it asked if candidates support the government policies on Ukraine and Russia?

( These policies have backfired and created an economic crisis for the whole country)

It is actually the most important issue facing the UK currently, yet clearly most of the by-election candidates want to pretend that it isn’t. The cowardness of those who did not respond is a sad inditement of the state of their parties on this issue as well as reflection of the lack of independence of these individual candidates, who are too frightened to even debate it.

This is the email they shied away from responding on, despite a number of reminders:

 

 

For the kind attention of … ( Name of Candidate)

 

Stretford and Urmston Parliamentary by- election

Thursday 15^th December 2022

I am writing a report on the views of the nine candidates standing in the by-election in respect of the Ukraine/Russia conflict.

This will be offered to all relevant local and national media and be fair and impartial.

The current UK government have engaged in a proxy war in Ukraine which has proven to be very costly to the British economy and the public.

Yet these policies on Ukraine and Russia have absolutely no mandate from the electorate.

It seems that the government knew what they were doing and that taking sides in this conflict would have major consequences.

If a comparison of prices across many areas is carried out prior to the government’s interventionist policies in February and prices now, the differences are horrendous.

It is noticeable that those countries which have remained neutral and refrained from aggressive war mongering, are those which are in economically better positions.

In fact, contrary to what the government would have the public believe, the majority of the world’s nations are not sanctioning Russia and are trading with them.

Worse still, the UK government have actively discouraged peace talks and through their supply of military aid have blood on their hands because civilians in eastern Ukraine have suffered from the use of UK supplied weapons against them. Young people in the military on both sides have died and had seriously casualties because of the UK government’s interventionism, which has prolonged this conflict needlessly.

The government’s military and other aid has exceeded £10bn so far, money which was urgently needed for local and national government services across the UK.

In contrast, the UK’s involvement in Afghanistan, where the UK was defending democracy, human and women’s rights, was costing £1bn a year, and there was no damage to the UK economy.

A General Election will not resolve this issue because the main Opposition parties support the government’s Ukraine and Russia policies.

Thus, the only fair way the public can have their say on this issue is through a UK wide referendum, as follows:

https://bit.ly/peaceoverwar

I write to ask if you support such a referendum and having a public debate on this issue, which has been denied to the people so far.

Also, if you have any other views on this conflict, and how long are the public expected to suffer the consequences of having such policies?

 

Your opinion on the need for MP’S of all parties to speak out on this important issue, even when against current party policies, would be welcome too.

 

Already, the costs of funding energy costs support to the public and businesses in the UK will be over £100bn, taxpayer’s money which would not need to be incurred if the government did not have their self-defeating Ukraine and Russia policies. The situation will only get worse until these policies are ended.

The Prime Minister, Rishi Sunak, appears to believe that the public should be prepared to suffer “for democracy and freedom” in Ukraine ( yet it barely exists with opposition parties and media shut down there). He appears to believe in a “pragmatic” Foreign policy which involves continuing ad infinitem the same or increasing levels of military and other “aid” to the President Zelensky government in Ukraine, and this approach is the very opposite of “pragmatic!”

Thank you for taking the time to read this and I look forward to your reply, which I respectfully request is received within one week.

With kind regards

Anthony Webber

Independent Political Commentator

anthonywebber@cwgsy.net

07824444604

The six candidates who did not respond and enter the Hall of Shame were:

Emily Carter-Kandola, Conservative Party

Anna Fryer, Liberal Democratic Party

Daniel Jerrome, Green Party

Paul Swansborough, Reform Party

Andrew Western, Labour Party

Julien Yvon, Social Democratic Party ( SDP)

All of these parties broadly support the government’s stance on Ukraine and Russia, even though it is causing the ruination of the UK economy.

They have shown they are not prepared to debate the issue, which is an absolute disgrace.

Interestingly, as a footnote, the Reform Party have recently entered an electoral agreement with the SDP in respect of six seat northern seats for the next General Election.

 

Great credit to the three candidates who had the courtesy to respond, as it is the willingness to debate, and be open and transparent, which is so much needed in modern day politics.

Here are the courageous three candidates, who merit entry into the Hall of Fame:

Hazel Gibb, Independent

Christina Glancy, Freedom Alliance Party

Jim Newall, Rejoin the EU Party

 

Their responses were:

 

Hazel Gibb, Independent candidate:

“Dear Anthony

Sorry for late reply TBH l didn’t really know much about the Ukraine until the war stated l knew Fiddler on the roof is based on Aleichem’s own upbringing near modern day Kyiv (fictionalized as Yehupetz and the Bee gees song Odessa (City on the Black Sea) from their album Odessa also he song Just give your best to your friends including the lyrics And when you think that your life isn’t right You know the day isn’t always like night You’ve had your peace now it’s time for you to fight Just give your best to your friends

and sometimes that’s the truth sometimes it’s time for us to fight against the bullies for democracy

as Shakespeare put in Henry V

In peace there’s nothing so becomes a man As modest stillness and humility, But when the blast of war blows in our ears, Then imitate the action of the tiger:

Stiffen the sinews, summon up the blood, Disguise fair nature with hard-favoured rage,

Basically, that is what we have to do other nations as you have said and l quote It is noticeable that those countries which have remained neutral and refrained from aggressive war mongering, are those which are in economically better positions.

Yes well we know what happens when people remain neutral whereas the UK stands up for itself and others

you ask if I support such a referendum and having a public debate on this issue, which has been denied to the people so far. well, the answer is no that’s what we elect MPs for that is their job and they should understand the views of their constituents and put their case forward.

All I have seen from the British public is great generosity to the Ukraine’s, hope this answers your questions. “

Christina Glancy, Freedom Alliance Party candidate:

 

“Anthony

Thanks for this

My comments- and those of Freedom Alliance – are:

The Ukraine war is a conflict deliberately manufactured by the NATO allies for the purpose of creating an inflationary crisis which will further impoverish their own populations. Destitute people are more willing to submit to state control and control is very much the sole objective of the globalist parasites and their captured governments in the UK and elsewhere.

I do not underestimate the very real suffering that is occurring in Eastern Ukraine and the autonomous regions.  Unfortunately,  the British media cannot be relied upon to accurately or impartially report on the conflict.

Ideally MPs from all parties would be able to see through the propaganda and pressure the UK government to bring this needless conflict to an end. But relying on existing MPs to act with anything approaching integrity, independence and intelligence is an absurd fantasy.

I support the concept of asking the British people via a referendum whether our nation should adopt a neutral position in the conflict. Unfortunately, the deliberate bias within the UK media would heavily distort the result of any such referendum.”

Jim Newall, Rejoin the EU Party candidate:

 

“Dear Anthony,

This is my reply:

I suspect that objective analysis would reveal that the West might have avoided the Ukraine invasion had it engaged with Russia differently in the years leading up to the invasion.

However, unprovoked aggression can never be justified, and Putin’s authoritarian regime is highly unpleasant to say the least.

For two reasons, I would not support a referendum on the Government’s Ukraine policies. First, as a matter of principle, I am not a great fan of referenda. Despots the world over are familiar with the use of plebiscites to give popular legitimacy to courses of action they have already decided upon. What makes a vote more or less democratic is the quality of deliberation that takes place before the vote is taken, and from the point of view of empowering people what counts is not simply that they can vote but that in voting they are organised.

Second, as a practical matter, I am not sure what purpose a referendum would serve in the present case. The conflict in Ukraine is a proxy war between the United States and Russia, and will only end when the two are ready to negotiate. The UK and Europe cannot diverge from US policy in Ukraine as they are reliant on America for their security. In this respect, the conflict highlights the relevance of the goal of European strategic autonomy as pursued especially by the government of France.”

 

This request to candidates has exposed a serious problem with the attitude of the mainstream parties and candidates with regard to basic courtesy, accountability, transparency and preparedness to debate a major political issue.

The variety of replies received from those who responded show that there are many facets of this issue, and that the attitude of those who refuse to debate the issue is a direct harm to democracy in the UK.

 

The next by-election will be in West Lancashire and likely to be towards the end of January 2023. There will be a major effort to ensure every single candidate gives their views and contributes to debate on this major issue.

 

The attitude of the mainstream parties in continuing to engage in on a costly foreign proxy war without any mandate from the UK public, demonstrates the very urgent need for a referendum on the issue.

 

Anthony Webber

Independent Political Commentator

anthonywebber@cwgsy.net