| Topic: | Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Local Labour: What they do rather than what they say. | |
| Posted by: | Patricia Miqdadi | |
| Date/Time: | 04/12/14 00:28:00 |
| Dear Sam, To respond to your question, as you will see from my name my family is Palestinian and as you'd expect I have a personal interest having been there and experienced the situation for myself. Every year in the House of Commons there is a Palestinian Lobby day. As soon as Mary Macleod was elected I contacted her hoping to inform her of the Palestinian point of view and having basically researched her background and where she was coming from. So when in November the lobby day took place and as previously with Anne Keen, I/we made a request to see her - in writing before the event and on the day filling in a card whereby she would be contacted in her office - 2 years running she made herself unavailable and on the 3rd year, having filled in the card we were told she would see us - imagine our suprise when 2 "interns" arrived, somehow thinking we were there to talk about "sport" as at that time she was working for Maria Miller -Sports Minister. Following that meeting we were eventually successful and she agreed to see us at her office in Brentford where we had to sign a form which stated we would not discuss the contents of our meeting with anyone else! The meeting was to bring to her attention the desperate situation of the Palestinian people and to balance her biased support for Israel and the Israeli's. In early 2010 (before the election) she along with Kenneth Clarke and a group of Conservative Friends of Israel had visited Israel and records show of meeting held there that basically made committments to the Israeli's that they would be working in their interests! Sure enough after the election and having successfully secured her seat in the House of Commons she voted along with other members of CFI to change/alter the International War Criminals agreement in such a way as to allow Israeli politicians and army personnal "free passage" from arrest while visiting this country. And following Israel's recent invasion of Gaza and the inhuman bombing, resulting in over 2,000 Palestinian deaths, Mary Macleod was very slow in condemning Israels actions. When I wrote to her about this her answer was to put forward the fact that our government would be giving 15million (tax payers money) for the reconstruction of Gaza - how much better it would be if these leaders and politicians employed the diplomancy that we credit them with to make the world a safer place possibly spending the country's wealth in better ways. Incidently the contracts and supplies to rebuild Gaza went mainly to the Israeli's - for them a win win situation! At the most recent Lobby Day and following the events in Gaza she did agree to see us and I remember a humanitarian member of the group asking how she felt about those children possibly injured, who had lost their parents/ family/home - she opened her mouth twice but no words came out ........ I am only one of thousands in Brentford and Isleworth but based on my experience and involvement with Mary Macleod frankly I'm not impressed or convinced that she is- fair, unbiased and just in matters serving those constituants and the country she claims to represent. I have a complete file of correspondence between myself and Mary Macleod since the beginning of her term till now as I'm sure your records will support? I hope this answers your question/s ? |