Theresa Coffey MP

I attended at the weekend a political meeting in Southwold. a pretty local affair really. The townspeople of that sulubrious and well heeled resort in Suffolk, plus the second homers etc. are objecting to the practice of Russian oil tankers using the seas a few miles off the beach to anchor with large quantities of oil on board, waiting for favourable market conditions when they will ship it out for sale at higher prices. Oil is also transferred there from small tankers from the Baltic into giant ocean going vessels. Sole Bay, where this happens, is apparently the ideal place with its relatively calm seas (you could have fooled me - the surf on the beach can be frightening. The point is, of course, if there is an accident the consequent oil spillage might despoil many miles of coastline which are vitla for tourism, the local economy (right down to Orford Ness) and the many sites of special scientific interest and bird habitats such as Minsmere. Where was I ? Oh yes. Dr Coffey, the MP for the area turned up to try to allay the fears of the locals. Not only did she fail, but it became absolutely clear that she is a career politician rather than a constituency MP. Though the locals want the practice banned, she seemed to take the side of the Government (she is a Conservative) against her own constituency. Well fair enough in a way, we know there are often conflicts of interest of this kind for MPs, but this makes one wonder what MPs are for. The solution may lie in the Additional Member System (AMS) as used in Scotland, Wales, London and Germany. MPs there are either elected for a constituency or elected by PR off a party list. If we adopted AMS for Westminster at least we would know whom our MPs are supposed to be representing. In the meantime, the Russians will probably have their way.



http://www.hoddereducation.co.uk/Colleges/Government---Politics.aspx?mRef=CNM01.