JULIE MORGAN AM
LABOUR WELSH ASSEMBLY MEMBER FOR CARDIFF NORTH
LETTERS TO THE EDITOR
South Wales Echo, August 19th 2010
Are Lib Dems' claims true?
A LEAFLET has been posted through the doors of the southern end of the Gabalfa ward
by the Cardiff North Liberal Democrats.
On the front is a bar chart showing the number of councillors for the constituency, with the label “Labour and Plaid can’t win here – only the Lib Dems can beat the Tories”.
In the recent General Election, it was this slogan which fooled so many voters into wasting their votes on John Dixon, whose ultimate vote of 8,724 only served to detract from the vote of the hugely popular defending MP Julie Morgan , who, with 17,666 votes, lost her seat to the Conservative candidate by only 194 votes.
I wonder, does the LibDems’ continued use of the statement “only the LibDems can
beat the Tories” in the run-
Geraint Denison
Rhiwbina, Cardiff
South Wales Echo, May 5th 2010
MP deserving of high praise
I am fed up with the current trend of tarring all MPs with the same brush.
A recent editorial in one of the broadsheets wrote that “there are some excellent MPs in all parties who deserve our support”. I endorse this view.
Therefore, I feel I have to respond to Keith Parry (Viewpoints, April 26th), who argues that all MPs are “self serving and self important”.
My MP, Julie Morgan, is neither and in fact has exceeded my expectations. She is one of those rare politicians who are devoid of political ego, and is and committed to helping those in need.
I do not support a political party but rather those I consider do a good job. Being active in my local community, I’ve been in contact with elected representatives at all levels, from all parties, and I respect and admire several across the political spectrum.
I’ve had reason to be in touch with Julie Morgan on numerous occasions and can vouch for the hard work she puts in.
Just a few examples include arranging for relevant AMs to visit my local park and see the work being done by volunteers, (which benefits the group in numerous ways). She even phoned me from Westminster one evening to see how a planning committee I was attending had progressed, and to offer further help if needed.
Her office supports a vast amount of personal casework that generally goes unreported. One of my relatives has benefited from such support at a national level.
I sincerely appreciate Julie Morgan's hard work, giving me real, practical help and
support when I need it, and in my opinion she deserves to be re-
Stephanie Wilkins
Llandaff North
South Wales Echo, September 20th 2010
I would vote for Julie every time
FORMER Cardiff North Labour MP Julie Morgan has confirmed that she wants to stand
at next May’s National Assembly elections (“Former MP seeks chance to fight back”,
Echo, September 14).
In May she lost to Conservative Jonathan Evans by just 194 votes, in the seat she had held since 1997.
If Julie is selected as the Labour candidate in Cardiff North, she would face the high profile Conservative AM Jonathan Morgan.
Her husband, former First Minister Rhodri Morgan, appears to be enthusiastic about his wife standing. His hope is that people who voted for the Liberal Democrats at the General Election would switch to Labour.
I do not support any political party, instead I vote for those who I consider do a good job. Someone who is a staunch individual, and active in local and national issues which seriously impact on the public.
Unfortunately, I reside in the south of the city, so cannot vote for Julie Morgan .
But the constituents of Cardiff North ought to be proud to have such a dedicated candidate, and I sincerely appreciate Julie Morgan’s hard work in giving real and practical help and support.
In my opinion she deserves to be elected.
The time has come when electors should be seriously thinking of voting for the person rather than the party, so that irrespective of which party is returned to office, Cardiff North will have an AM to represent the community.
Julie will certainly give Conservative AM Jonathan Morgan a run for his money with a campaign of vigour and passion.
Mr Morgan would do well to remember that no-
Welsh Assembly ministers ought to put their priorities in order. As for accountability and conflict of interests, what British politician, once elected, has ever been accountable? Perhaps a lesson in humility is called for!
Mark Cummings
Grangetown, Cardiff
South Wales Echo, September 27th 2010
Julie has been a great help
I ENDORSE completely the sentiments of Mark Cummings (Viewpoints, September 20 –
“I would vote for Julie every time”) and, although I have never lived in Julie Morgan’s
constituency, I know her political career has been one of selfless devotion to her
electorate and the area she represented.
This has been enhanced by her championing of unpopular causes, for instance gypsy rights, in which she has followed the work of her late mother Grace Edwards who, for a long time, together with many others, taught at St David’s Gypsy School in Cardiff.
Julie came extremely close to retaining her seat in Cardiff North, always a difficult task for any Labour politician, and, at a time when politicians are held in such low esteem, she is one of whom we can be proud.
I hope that the electorate will recall that if she is selected as the prospective Labour candidate for next year’s Assembly elections.
Christopher Short
Barry (Founding Chairman, St David’s Gypsy School)
South Wales Echo, May 17th 2010
MPs should think for themselves
I am a left-
The recent election campaign led to the narrow defeat of one of the best
constituency MPs I have seen in my 60 plus years -
The Lib
Dems told the Cardiff North electorate that "only John Dixon can beat the Tories
in Cardiff North", which was clearly misleading and false.
It begs the question,
did John Dixon and his election team really believe this falsehood, or did they publish
it in their campaign literature in the knowledge that it was "lies, damned lies and
statistics"? I suspect it was simply a cynical ploy to convince voters in Cardiff
North to vote for him -
In Cardiff North, as in the rest of the UK, a vote for the Lib Dems has proved to
be a vote for the Tories.
I was told by a Lib Dem canvasser during the campaign that
the days of voting for a candidate rather than a party are over, and that a constituency
MP's record should not be a primary consideration.
This is a "shot in the foot" for
councillors Dixon, Bridges and Percy, who work hard for their wards and regularly
demonstrate that fact in their bulletins.
One difference I do see between these councillors
and Mrs Morgan, however, is that in her role as an MP she not only worked unstintingly
for the people of Cardiff North, but she was also prepared to think for herself and
to vote against her party line on several occasions.
I have yet to see these Lib
Dem councillors stand up and be counted against the Berman line on any issue, including
those affecting the green spaces in Cardiff.
WS Gilbert wrote of politicians: "If
they have a brain and cerebellum too, they have to leave their brain outside, and
vote just as their leaders tell 'em to."
I suspect that the Lib Dem supporter's comments will remain in my mind in the run
up to future Assembly and council elections.
Alun Pryce
Gabalfa, Cardiff
South Wales Echo, February 10th 2010
Morgan has fought for us
I wish to state at the outset that I do not support any one political party.
There are many excellent MPs throughout the country who listen to their constituents and work very hard for them.
One such MP is Julie Morgan , MP for Cardiff North, who really does work hard for her constituents.
Julie Morgan has one of the lowest expenses claims in the House of Commons and has campaigned on issues that matter to local people like the buses.
No one can be happy about the plight of pensioners in the current climate. Julie has taken every opportunity at her disposal to bring this to the notice of Parliament.
Over the past five years, I have attended two lobbies of Parliament to bring to the fore the plight of pensioners, while representing the National Pensioners Convention.
Out of all the Cardiff MPs, Julie Morgan was the only one who attended the lobby on both occasions.
Figures produced by Age Concern and the NPC show that there are now one in four pensioners living below the fuel poverty line, while there are more than three million pensioners living below the poverty line.
My concern is for the voting population of Cardiff North, the majority of whom are pensioners.
I think the time has come when electors should be seriously thinking of voting for the person rather than the party, so that irrespective of which party is returned to office, we will have an MP to represent our community.
John C. Hughes
Whitchurch, Cardiff