|
Post by gwynthegriff on Jun 28, 2018 12:07:12 GMT
Not harassment, but in about 1998, just after I had stood as a candidate in a council by-election, I got a long rambling latter from a mad person in Penge (when I say mad, I mean mad) who wrote at great length about how he was "on the run" from some sort of institution, how the police had been plotting to kill him, and so on. I sent the letter to his MP Jacqui Lait, and she wrote back saying that she was sorry he had bothered me, that he had been writing to lots of people, and that she had tried to help him. It was only one letter, and I got the impression that he was basically harmless, albeit obviously very disturbed. I think that's what's usually called a green ink letter, regardless of the coloured ink actually used, and I think we all get them if in office as a matter of course. As you say, Mostly Harmless. I had a constituent who used to write to me on a semi-regular basis. Her twin obsessions were people staring at her in the street, and broken glass. Actually, there may have been other matters but after the first two or three lines her handwriting tended to head into illegible territory. She was also very confused that she was represented by a councillor whose name had become Gwyn Griffiths, having previously been Gwyneth Dunwoody. More than one of her letters were addressed to Gwyn Dunwoody, or Gwyneth Griffiths, or Gwyn Griffiths MP, or Councillor Dunwoody. I was so concerned (about her mental health, not any threat to me) that I contacted adult social services. "Oh don't worry" they said. "She writes to us as well." Which was not quite the response I'd expected.
|
|
|
Post by mrhell on Jun 28, 2018 13:01:51 GMT
Full address, no compromise. Says a man posting using a pseudonym. Hypocrisy thy name is Liberal Democrat. Have you been at the pub? I seriously doubt he appears on the ballot paper as Khunanup.
|
|
|
Post by timrollpickering on Jun 28, 2018 13:13:50 GMT
Says a man posting using a pseudonym. Hypocrisy thy name is Liberal Democrat. Have you been at the pub? How long have you been reading David's posts?!
|
|
The Bishop
Labour
Down With Factionalism!
Posts: 36,483
Member is Online
|
Post by The Bishop on Jun 28, 2018 13:54:24 GMT
This discussion vaguely makes me recall somebody a few years ago who spammed forums etc with claims they were being "assaulted" by newsreaders/presenters through their TV screen (or something similar) Anybody else remember this?
|
|
|
Post by Davıd Boothroyd on Jun 28, 2018 14:20:22 GMT
This discussion vaguely makes me recall somebody a few years ago who spammed forums etc with claims they were being "assaulted" by newsreaders/presenters through their TV screen (or something similar) Anybody else remember this? You're not thinking of Mike Corley / Boleslaw Tadeusz Szocik are you?
|
|
|
Post by catking on Jun 28, 2018 15:04:27 GMT
|
|
|
Post by BossMan on Jun 28, 2018 15:24:48 GMT
This discussion vaguely makes me recall somebody a few years ago who spammed forums etc with claims they were being "assaulted" by newsreaders/presenters through their TV screen (or something similar) Anybody else remember this? You're not thinking of Mike Corley / Boleslaw Tadeusz Szocik are you? Now there's a blast from the past. Not many people have an opera written about them.
|
|
|
Post by gwynthegriff on Jun 28, 2018 17:29:19 GMT
This Forum is a never failing source of fascination.
|
|
Khunanup
Lib Dem
Portsmouth Liberal Democrats
Posts: 11,507
|
Post by Khunanup on Jun 28, 2018 23:22:34 GMT
If you are a candidate you are a politician which is the point I was making. I get paid nothing for standing in an unwinnable parliamentary seat (and paid nothing for standing in any election) but I respect the political freedom of the electorate to know where their candidates live. We are never going to agree on this point. I do not see why someone knowing your EXACT home address has to do with making you a better councillor, or somehow making you more transparent and accountable. Going out and meeting constituents, helping to solve any issues they have, attending and participating in council meetings, being out and about in the community and attending the events, all of these things are being open and transparent. That is what being open and transparent is, not saying 'oh here's my home address'. I am going the opposite way to you on this argument and actually think that unless agreed by the councillor themselves, there should be an assumption of partial address only, not the full home address. Councillors may have family situations that may mean that constituents calling at their home is not a good thing, for example they are involved in nursing an elderly relative. Some people (a couple of bolton councillors from labour) had their home addresses removed from the SoPN due to their particular occupations and the risk that was involved with their home address being known more widely. No we're not. I'm a funde on this, it's one of those issues where I've next to no issue with the comfort of the candidate rather than entire interest with the ability of the electorate to access information about the inidividials wishing to represent them (regardless of whether they decide to share their situation or not) via party political election literature. Politicians are not private individuals. You stick yourself, the whole of yourself, up for election and you're never anonymous ever again...
|
|
|
Post by syorkssocialist on Jun 29, 2018 13:11:14 GMT
Worth mentioning that in Perth and Kinross, and perhaps some other local authorities, the SOPN is published online with the candidates addresses redacted but local residents can visit the council offices to see the full version. Perhaps that is a suitable compromise?
|
|
|
Post by timrollpickering on Oct 31, 2021 21:50:06 GMT
As an update on this I've noticed that there seems to be some confusion amongst either agents or electoral serviceses (sp?) about exactly what "electoral area" means especially in elections crossing multiple authorities. As an example on the North Yorkshired PFCC by-election SOPN two of the five candidates show their address, one has "address in [Parliamentary constituency]" and two have "address in [ward], [district/borough council]". The previous Wiltshire SOPN similarly used the Parliamentary constituency for one and the unitary authority division (without specifying the council - the PCC covers Swindon as well as Wiltshire unitary) for another.
In the metro mayor elections this year:
Cambridgeshire & Peterborough - all candidates gave their addresses. Greater Manchester - four candidates were "address in the district of [borough]" London - all but two candidates were "address in the [borough] electoral area" and one candidate who lives outside London was "address in the [district] electoral area" West Midlands - four candidates were "address in [borough]" West of England - two candidates were "address in [unitary authority]" West Yorkshire - six candidates were "address in [borough]" Tees Valley - one candidate was "address in [borough]" Liverpool City Region - three candidates were "address in [borough]"
It seems there are some style guides around but also it's not always clear just what is being asked for.
Council by-elections are more straightforward with most of the SOPNs for the next few weeks using "address in [authority name]" though Manchester for some reasons uses "the district of Manchester" (isn't it proud to be a city?) and Tewkesbury uses "address in Twekesbury Borough".
|
|
cibwr
Plaid Cymru
Posts: 3,558
|
Post by cibwr on Nov 7, 2021 17:10:59 GMT
You're not thinking of Mike Corley / Boleslaw Tadeusz Szocik are you? Now there's a blast from the past. Not many people have an opera written about them. I think you have to be of a certain vintage to remember him on usenet news
|
|
|
Post by BossMan on Nov 7, 2021 18:49:18 GMT
Now there's a blast from the past. Not many people have an opera written about them. I think you have to be of a certain vintage to remember him on usenet news Ah, a quote from 2018. I was, uh, a different man back then.
|
|
J.G.Harston
Lib Dem
Leave-voting Brexit-supporting Liberal Democrat
Posts: 13,591
|
Post by J.G.Harston on Nov 7, 2021 19:59:50 GMT
Now there's a blast from the past. Not many people have an opera written about them. I think you have to be of a certain vintage to remember him on usenet news Wow, MI5Victim, not heard from him in years. I can't remember what groups I saw his posts on, but he was bizarre.
|
|