AS an ex-member of the Labour Party, I was surprised to receive an invitation to a uestion-and-answer session at the Brighthelm Centre on September 24 with Home Secretary Jack Straw.
The meeting was so stage-managed it was an insult to the intelligence of those who attended. The bulk of the questions seemed to have been carefully planted so Mr Straw could state party policy without making any commitment. Only the trusted party faithful were allowed to ask other questions.
One of the reasons I left the Labour party was because, following the election, it was made quite clear to activists our role was not to pass concerns and worries of the electorate to MPs but to tell the electorate how wonderful everything is.
Regardless of the polls, it will be interesting to see if Tony Blair can win the next election without an army of dedicated activists tramping the streets for him.
-Stuart Bower, Hawkhurst Road, Brighton
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