The Blogger’s sympathy goes out to the group of carefully selected unfortunates in the new constituency of North East Somerset, formerly Wansdyke.
For it seems their go-getting public schoolboy Labour MP, Dan Norris, has devised a new way to get his message across to the people.
Not only has Dan released this new official image of himself in a tough guy pose – already, incidentally, posted on his carefully edited Wikipedia entry – but we learn Dan has also sent out a brand new 2008 calendar to many of his lucky constituents in order to “reach” them better.
And what does the calendar feature? Er, 18 full colour photographs of Dan Norris.
Nice.
(Got any embarrassing crap of yer local MP? Then let us know.)
Is it ok to remind people about this BBC interview with Bristol South Dawn Primarolo MP ? http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YyvsATYoZTM
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It would be interesting to know if these calendars were funded out of his own pocket, (or that of his local party), or were paid for out his £10 000 tax-payer funded Communications Allowance.
The Communications Allowance gets a bad press, but many MPs, of all parties, use it to highlight some of the campaigns and issues they have worked on that would not otherwise feature in their political leaflets. It is a way of demonstrating that they are elected to serve all their electorate, not just the ones that might vote for them.
However other MPs use it a little more than a blatant attempt to boost their own profile and name recognition. I am not suggesting that Mr Norris has done this but I am intrigued to know if he chose to fund this himself or through his fundraising contributions.
To be fair, Dan Norris is probably the most effective communicator amongst this area’s MPs and this calendar sounds like a very astute means of getting information of his work for his constituents across to them. A lot of people I know, who don’t usually support Labour politicians, still vote for him because he works so hard. Others lament the fact that their MP doesn’t! And something nobody else seems to have noticed or pointed out is that he is the only ‘Bristol area’ MP who actually grew up in the area – the others are imports, without exception I think. Maybe that’s why he gives the impression of being a “grafter”.
I do have to agree with Jenny. As an MP he certainly puts in the effort to contact his constituents. I’ve seen him on the street stall in Keynsham and only a few weeks ago he was door knocking on my road. I also got a survey from him posted through my door. Not everyone might agree with what he says but at least he takes the time to listen to people. I was a student living in Bristol West last year and I didn’t hear anything from Stephen Williams MP.