This morning, along with my Christmas cards, I received a letter from the House of Commons. Thinking that they had at last realised my potential and that I couldn't do any worse than Tony Bliar I started thinking about who we could go to war with next.

Imagine my disappointment when I read the letter from Meg Munn, my MP. My reply to her at MunnM@parliament.uk. should go some way to explaining my feelings. I have copied my reply below:-

Thank you for your undated letter received on 21st December 2004 on House of Commons paper with 1st class postage presumably paid by the same organisation. I assume that your letter has been sent to all of your constituents and I would like to thank you on behalf of the Post Office for boosting their flagging finances.

Although your letter was most informative I am not really interested in my National representative talking about local matters which, I suspect, are much better left to local councillors. What I would like to know is how you, as my MP, are doing. How many times did you attend parliamentary sessions out of the total possible attendances? How did you vote on the important national and international issues? Do you still intend to send out these letters, which lets face it, are very thinly disguised ' vote for me ' letters?

I have voted Labour at each general election for the past 44 years but their present performance coupled with your letter is making me think more than twice about contiuing to support them.

I shall be making a posting on www.sheffielfdforum.co.uk about this you are, of course, more than welcome to reply to it.


What does everbody else think?

voters with teeth. I like it.

What did the letter from Meg say that was so dissapointing ?

What? I got a calendar with it as well.

Don't say it was stolen by the posties?

Letter said:-

1 Attended local Girls Brigade.

2.Opened a neighbourhood centre.

3. Visited a local mothers group.

4. Organised a pensioners coffee morning.

5. Attended a local TA centre.

6. Visited a local Sure Strart group.

yeah, that sounds quite full of itself.

http://politics.guardian.co.uk/person/0,9290,-6458,00.html

Has some details of Meg Munns voting record.

She's my MP too, I don't remember her (or anyone else for that matter) canvasing the area though.

try this (http://www.theyworkforyou.com/mp/?pid=11128#performance) (meg munns performance data from www.theyworkforyou.com)

Well I suppose you have to get something for your (nearly) £135 K

Realistically though, most MPs are going to do what they are told by their whips not vote entirely independently of their party.

Except on matters of conscience (free votes etc). People expect too much of their MPs on that score I reckon. If they were truly independent minded and not just a tool of their party's bosses they wouldnt have joined the party to start with.

Originally posted by Mouseman
Realistically though, most MPs are going to do what they are told by their whips not vote entirely independently of their party.

Except on matters of conscience (free votes etc). People expect too much of their MPs on that score I reckon. If they were truly independent minded and not just a tool of their party's bosses they wouldnt have joined the party to start with.

However shouldn't they be voting in a more independant way. We live in a representative democracy (OK I know that in real terms it's not actually a representative democracy but thats how it portrays itself!) where power is supposed to be ultimately held by the people who elect someone to represent their interests in the House Of Commons - so Meg Munn should be representing the interests of the people in her constituancy NOT the interests of the Labour Party and it's backers...

Anyone got a letter from D.Blunkett yet ?

Originally posted by Cols
Anyone got a letter from D.Blunkett yet ?
Yeh, the CSA.

I got one of these letters as well and thought what a total waste of money. If some-one wants me to vote for them then they'd better turn up on my doorstep and do a bit of face to face canvassing.

These MPs can't win. When we go out canvassing we always hear the whinge 'We never hear from our MP'. Now, when Meg sends a letter out telling her constituents what she gets up to it's 'What a waste of money'.

Incidentally, she only sends a letter to a proportion of her constituents each year so that over a period everyone should have received one. That should save some money for you.

I'm not very interested in the public engagements that my MP has been to, I don't hold MP's in any high esteem after watching their childish antics on Prime Ministers Questions.
I'd be far more interested in talking to my local councillors about what is effecting me in my everyday life, I can't even remember the last time I saw a politician of any description out canvassing on my road.

Originally posted by max
MPs can't win. When we go out canvassing we always hear the whinge...
we ???

Which MP are you then ?

I found one from meg myself today. When I saw the official envelope with the port cullis emblem I though I'd been called up for jury service. Something which I'd love to experience, but sadly no.

I appreciate being told about the local MP, and even given several ways to contact her office/email etc... I would prefer the local MP to live in the district though, and she lives with her Husband in (Barnsley or Doncaster cant remember exactly).
Since she won office, I have heard her asking decent questions challenging Blair at PMQs and in general she sounds like a good hard working type, and according to her leaflet she is envolved with some worthwhile causes.

I would prefer politicians to stay away from party politics and stick to relevant issues. So far so good. But, If I ever hear MP Munn engaging in the childish shameful prattle that many MPs sink to, I now have several ways of writing to her to complain.
So overall, well Done Meg and Thanks for the leaflet.

Originally posted by max


Incidentally, she only sends a letter to a proportion of her constituents each year so that over a period everyone should have received one. That should save some money for you.

What proportion would that be, Max? 100%?
I've had one for the last three years!

Originally posted by foo_fighter
we ???

Which MP are you then ?

Not an MP, just an activist.

Originally posted by cgksheff
I've had one for the last three years!

You may be on a mailing list of people who have either raised an issue with her office or attended public meetings.

muddycoffee - Meg is Sheffield born and bred, she just happens to live with her husband in Barnsley, it's not that far really.

Is she by any chance related to that gypsy-looking lady Mystic Meg who appeared on the Lottery tv programme.
So many young ladies look alike these days.I think nail-bars,strange diets and fancy excercise centres have a lot to answer for.As Paula "porridge in her pants" Radcliffe found to her cost in Athens.

I think you're getting mixedup Bazzo with Meg Richardson who used to run a Motel in the Midlands in the '60's.
I don't know whether Meg Richardson ever became an M.P.---it's quite feasible,given her commanding presence.
"Amy Turtle " rings a bell too---could she have been Meg's agent ? There was a "Benny" ,too,who I seem to remember was a sort of John Redwood -type ,so politics does come into it somewhere.
I've an idea that Amy Turtle ended up at the Royal Shakespeare Company but I could be wrong on that point.

As far as indolent robots for MPs go I don't think Meg Munn's a major culprit, and answering the original questions for Ms Munn, as i doubt she'll get round to it:

How many times did you attend parliamentary sessions out of the total possible attendances? attended 79% of votes in parliament

How did you vote on the important national and international issues? With the government

Do you still intend to send out these letters, which lets face it, are very thinly disguised ' vote for me ' letters? Er, yeah.

And as a backbencher she's actually paid £57,485 basic plus expences, and despite what people think they don't fiddle em (well maybe the travel lol).

Whether any of this makes her good or bad as an MP i really don't know.

Here are Ms Munn's Expenses.
With no expert knowledge on my part, I don't think she has used more than most.
The Xmas circulars (for last year) would have come from the £10,822 'postage costs'.

Meg Munn’s Documented Expenses 2003/04 (http://news.bbc.co.uk/nol/shared/bsp/hi/pdfs/21_10_04_hocallowances0304.pdf)

Additional Costs Allowance £20,321 (overnight stays away from home) Max: £20,333
London Supplement £0
IEP (Incidental Expenses Provision) £17,651 (mostly accommodation costs for office/surgery) Max: £18,799
Staff Costs £67,850 Max: £64 to £75,000
Members' Travel £12,818
Members' Staff Travel £1,222
Centrally Purchased Stationery £1,921
Stationery Associated Postage Costs: £10,822
Central IT Provision £1,968
Other Costs £0

Originally posted by carcrash
http://politics.guardian.co.uk/person/0,9290,-6458,00.html

Has some details of Meg Munns voting record.
Well like most MP's she appears to be little more than cannon fodder for the opposition and a voting lap dog for the Party.

Better not misbehave eh? :roll:

Originally posted by fragmed
And as a backbencher she's actually paid £57,485 basic plus expences, and despite what people think they don't fiddle em (well maybe the travel lol).
Originally posted by cgksheff
Here are Ms Munn's Expenses.

Additional Costs Allowance £20,321 (overnight stays away from home) Max: £20,333
London Supplement £0
IEP (Incidental Expenses Provision) £17,651 (mostly accommodation costs for office/surgery) Max: £18,799
Staff Costs £67,850 Max: £64 to £75,000
Members' Travel £12,818
Members' Staff Travel £1,222
Centrally Purchased Stationery £1,921
Stationery Associated Postage Costs: £10,822
Central IT Provision £1,968
Other Costs £0
Add all that money up, and what you get as a voter is...

...someone who does exactly what they are told by Tony.

She doesn't even have to think for herself for a wage of nearly £60k.

Gee, that's value for money.

Originally posted by foo_fighter
Add all that money up, and what you get as a voter is...

...someone who does exactly what they are told by Tony.

She doesn't even have to think for herself for a wage of nearly £60k.

Gee, that's value for money.

So become an MP then - then you'll get all those 'perks'.

Mind you, you'll never be able to please anyone if you do :confused:

Stationery Associated Postage Costs 2003/04
Sheffield MP’s

Megg Munn £10,822
Helen Jackson £4,404
Clive Betts £4,083
David Blunkett £3,191
Richard Caborn £1,837

I think it is inportant that MP's take an interest in the area they are representing, as they need to know their opinions if they are to vote on their behalf.

I personaly like to thank Ms Munn as when I was a student I found it hard to pay my rent and council tax (wife and at the time 2 kids became 3 during my student days) and could apply under low income status. This took over 6 months to sort out with legal action being threanted agaisnt me for being behind on my rent. My local counciler didn't want to know.

Ms Munn did and a few phone calls later it was sorted but nothing could be done about some of the action already taken. She also rasied questions in the House.

Jubby

I am not at all sure how or why I come online to defend a politician who was not very kind to me and certainly never defended me when I needed it.........however.............if you see an MP with a big stationery and postage bill, doesnt that mean that your MP has taken the time to write to you with an update of her or his or their activities?

How many times do we hear about politicians who scorn their voters? At least this woman keeps in touch with the voters in her patch.


You can slag her off all day long for not voting how you wanted her to, but you sure cant call her for keeping you in the dark, however unpopular that makes her......


You knock on a door and they say " please dont keep coming here" and yet at another door on another estate they say "we never see you"


Here is a quiz question for you.........."At what point does a christmas card and a knock on the door for a chat, become someone else's "we never see her"?
You lot dont know what you want