Musings from the Merse
Friday, February 29, 2008
Another silly gem from that Soapbox of the North: the letter column in the Berwickshire:
Like many of your readers we received a card from John Lamont with useful contact details etc which was fine by me.
However, what I strongly object to is this card being printed in Brighton, England.
Surely this work should have been carried out by a local printer, with our money being spent to support local firms.
Perhaps John Lamont had his eye on a ‘Brighton jolly’ in order to ensure correct wording etc for the art work (lovely St Abbs Harbour view).
‘Freedom of Information Act’ - so how much did this cost John and did you pay with Scottish bank notes?
Next time make sure a local firm is asked. We have an excellent exchange rate you know and we all need to support local labour.
Let’s see if John Lamont will give a reply to this open letter and an apology for his insensitive mis-use of funds by his support of the ‘Auld Enemy’.
Who’s smiling now John. (Name supplied and shredded in error)
So why does the delightful and energetic Mr Lamont, our (Scottish) Tory MSP, have his puffs printed in Brighton. Perhaps (lets go for the simple answer: no suitable printers in Scotland-after all Brighton is First World, technically speaking. But, I hear you scream 'What about Fantasy Prints?' But Fantasy Prints is in Berwick-upon-Tweed. And Berwick is in?*
Any thoughts on the back of a Scottish Twenty Pound note to the Hutton Think Tank fao Huttonian Retirement Fund
* Enough about Berwick (Blog-ed)
Like many of your readers we received a card from John Lamont with useful contact details etc which was fine by me.
However, what I strongly object to is this card being printed in Brighton, England.
Surely this work should have been carried out by a local printer, with our money being spent to support local firms.
Perhaps John Lamont had his eye on a ‘Brighton jolly’ in order to ensure correct wording etc for the art work (lovely St Abbs Harbour view).
‘Freedom of Information Act’ - so how much did this cost John and did you pay with Scottish bank notes?
Next time make sure a local firm is asked. We have an excellent exchange rate you know and we all need to support local labour.
Let’s see if John Lamont will give a reply to this open letter and an apology for his insensitive mis-use of funds by his support of the ‘Auld Enemy’.
Who’s smiling now John. (Name supplied and shredded in error)
So why does the delightful and energetic Mr Lamont, our (Scottish) Tory MSP, have his puffs printed in Brighton. Perhaps (lets go for the simple answer: no suitable printers in Scotland-after all Brighton is First World, technically speaking. But, I hear you scream 'What about Fantasy Prints?' But Fantasy Prints is in Berwick-upon-Tweed. And Berwick is in?*
Any thoughts on the back of a Scottish Twenty Pound note to the Hutton Think Tank fao Huttonian Retirement Fund
* Enough about Berwick (Blog-ed)
Labels: Berwick upon Tweed, Hutton Think Tank
Comments:
Mr Lamont's reply appears in today's Berwickshire.
SIR, - I write in response to the letter from Mr Johnson which appeared in last week's Berwickshire News. The letter raised a number of points about my contact postcard which I would like to respond to.
The postcard is currently being delivered to every household in my Borders constituency. It contains information about how constituents can contact me - phone numbers, postal addresses, e-mail address and information about my constituency surgeries.
I believe that everyone should have easy access to their elected representatives and I hope that these postcards will allow my constituents to contact me.
Almost 2000 residents have already visited one of my 16 monthly surgeries - more surgeries than any other politician in the Borders - and I have endeavoured to help everyone to the best of my abilities.
I use a variety of printers in the Borders, in Scotland and in the United Kingdom. I try, as a rule, to use printers (and other businesses) in the Borders as much as I can.
For example, my Christmas cards were printed by a new printing business in the Borders.
My parliamentary report is currently being printed in Kelso. However, each printer offers different expertise and deals. The printing firm in England to which Mr Johnson refers, specialise in postcard production at very low prices.
This brings me to my final point. I also strongly believe that I owe a duty to my electorate to achieve the best value for the money that I spend on the taxpayers' behalf.
It is a difficult balance to get right.
JOHN LAMONT
Conservative MSP for Roxburgh and Berwickshire.
No copy to the Hutton Think Tank, No Scottish £20 note.
Cheapskate
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SIR, - I write in response to the letter from Mr Johnson which appeared in last week's Berwickshire News. The letter raised a number of points about my contact postcard which I would like to respond to.
The postcard is currently being delivered to every household in my Borders constituency. It contains information about how constituents can contact me - phone numbers, postal addresses, e-mail address and information about my constituency surgeries.
I believe that everyone should have easy access to their elected representatives and I hope that these postcards will allow my constituents to contact me.
Almost 2000 residents have already visited one of my 16 monthly surgeries - more surgeries than any other politician in the Borders - and I have endeavoured to help everyone to the best of my abilities.
I use a variety of printers in the Borders, in Scotland and in the United Kingdom. I try, as a rule, to use printers (and other businesses) in the Borders as much as I can.
For example, my Christmas cards were printed by a new printing business in the Borders.
My parliamentary report is currently being printed in Kelso. However, each printer offers different expertise and deals. The printing firm in England to which Mr Johnson refers, specialise in postcard production at very low prices.
This brings me to my final point. I also strongly believe that I owe a duty to my electorate to achieve the best value for the money that I spend on the taxpayers' behalf.
It is a difficult balance to get right.
JOHN LAMONT
Conservative MSP for Roxburgh and Berwickshire.
No copy to the Hutton Think Tank, No Scottish £20 note.
Cheapskate
