CORRECTION: In the 2 years we’ve been offering our MP a fortnightly platform for an unedited 900-word column,
#PartyGate
is the 2nd time we’ve directed her (as we do with other columnists) to address a burning issue (1st was voting against feeding starving kids).
Oh, sorry editor of Bishop’s Stortford Independent but not true it's only once you (rudely) told me what I should write about (despite having already commented on it). Here’s an email from October 2020 when you tried to force me into writing what you wanted. Jog any memories?
Dear
@JulieMarsonMP
#BorisJohnson
has always enjoyed your full support. Now that he’s been found to have broken his own law, do you - as PPS to Justice Secretary
@DominicRaab
, an ex magistrate and policeman’s daughter - still back him?
We have spied da man!
@TomHolland1996
arrives at the old post office in
#Stortford
to start filming for
#SpiderManFarFromHome
. He'll be at News & Booze in North Street later. Pop in and see us at the Indie at 12 North Street, Tom - we have cake and tea
We don't publish our readers' letters online (we reserve them for our printed edition every Wednesday). But we had to make an exception for this one...
Regardless of political persuasion, the failure of
@JulieMarsonMP
to issue a statement on where she stands on
#BorisJohnson
is appalling. The lack of engagement borders on disdain and contempt for the voters she claimed in Jan 2020 she wanted to represent
Dear
@JulieMarsonMP
, as you have decided to no longer engage with offline constituents in
#Stortford
via the privilege and advantage of your Indie column, could you give your views & thoughts on today’s developments here so that we can inform your constituents please? Thank you
Rather than step up and back
@UKLabour
's plans for a
#WindfallTax
to support people with rising energy bills,
@JulieMarsonMP
chose to abandon them and vote against.
We need an MP who stands up for residents in Hertford & Stortford facing real hardship, not oil and gas giants.
Dear
@HertStortford
It’s time to break the silence. The electorate of Hertford and Stortford that you profess to represent have a right to know: does
#BorisJohnson
have your full support in light of the resignations of
#RishiSunak
@
#sajidjavid
? 🤷♂️
Regrettably, for the second week in a row, we have had to spike a column. Our Nature Notes writer
@jonoForgham
had been directed to address birdlife at Wall Wood near
@HatfieldForest
but instead went off piste to Hertford East station and wrote about feral pigeon flocks
Absolute scenes in Bishop’s Stortford...
“We have asked Julie Marson’s office to forward us the ‘local newspaper industry rules’ that say a columnist should dictate a newspaper’s content to its editor.”
Good morning
@JulieMarsonMP
. Following on from last night’s question to you, and now that you’ve had a chance to process, who do you stand with: your constituents who obeyed rules & made sacrifices or the PM responsible for ‘one rule for me, one rule for them’ culture at No 10?
Dear
@JulieMarsonMP
Have you sent a communication like this? If not, can you please find your voice and explain to your constituents who, like you, generally followed the rules, why you are prepared to continue to support a leadership lacking in honesty, integrity and decency?
#Spurs
legends Ossie Ardiles, Pat Jennings and David Howells were in Sawbridgeworth to support charity
@Legend_on_Bench
, launched by
@1MickyHazard
and sister Michelle after her son Jay, who went to school in the town, died by suicide at 23
@SpursOfficial
Dear
@JulieMarsonMP
Do you stand by your words?
“Everyone, whoever they are, should obey the law, and anyone found to have broken the rules must face consequences.”
What do you believe the consequences should be for the PM?
Hi
@JulieMarson
. We were told yesterday you were too busy to answer our specific questions, emailed to you on Monday, about
#dominiccummings
. We will try again today. In the meantime, a report appears in today’s Indie.
"The people of Hertford and Stortford deserve a better MP. One who is local and represents their interests in Parliament. Someone who knows the constituency and participates in community life, rather than dropping in at PR events with party supporters."
A day off for
@BSRUGBY
so joint head coach
@TomColeman10
and brother Jack headed into town for some family time but got hauled into helping to load a van with gear for 🇺🇦 refugees - and recruited 🇺🇦 Sergei for the front row at the same time 💙🤍💙💛
Two days after we splashed on the dire numbers of people in need that Stortford food bank is managing, in a show of solidarity with her hard-pressed constituents,
@JulieMarsonMP
was visiting three food places and an actual bank in Hertford. Out of touch? 🤷♂️
.
@Sammywints89
, who at 32 has just become a father, is retiring having been at Silver Leys since the age of 10 and having skippered the
@BSRUGBY
first XV since they were promoted to
@Natleague_rugby
1 in 2017
On this issue, could you state your personal position for the benefit of your constituents please,
@JulieMarsonMP
? And it would be much appreciated if you could actually start to answer our legitimate and valid questions rather than rudely ignoring
@Indy_Sinead
courteous emails
“I”? That’s funny,
@JulieMarsonMP
didn’t mention YOU in her spiked column claiming credit 🤷♂️ All aboard! Any more for the Train of Self-Congratulation!? This is a direct service to Fantasyland, not calling at Truthtown, Realityford or Factville 🚂
.
@JulieMarsonMP
wants the PM to focus on cost-of-living crisis and levelling up the country. We asked her what she would be doing to serve her constituents on these issues. She did not answer. So we asked Lab, Lib Dem and Green, who happily replied.
So
@JulieMarsonMP
, re the
#downingstreetparty
and the video that has emerged and the contempt shown towards your constituents, what are your thoughts and feelings please - as a human being, regardless of your political affiliation?
“Appearances from original rude boy Neville Staple and his band,
@TheSelecter
with the immaculate
@paulineblackOBE
and Bruce Foxton’s
@FromtheJam1
, back after Russ Hastings’ heart scare last year, have become essential”
@SVFSouth
Pics: Gerred Gilronan
,
@Indy_Sinead
on her highlight of the 3-day Stone Valley Festival South: “A ripple went around the arena as Toyah took to the stage and [husband Robert Fripp] was sitting at her side".
@SVFSouth
@toyahofficial
Pictures: Gerred Gilronan
The Independent Office for Police Conduct
@policeconduct
continues probe into royal cavalcade crash which killed Birchanger widow, mother, grandmother and great-grandmother Helen Holland
What happened to Keir Starmer tonight outside parliament is appalling. It is really important for our democracy & for his security that the false Savile slurs made against him are withdrawn in full.
Dear
@JulieMarsonMP
Following on from your fellow Kent-based MP’s comment here, what is the %age split in your postbag/inbox among your
#Hertford
&
#Stortford
constituents who say
#BorisJohnson
must go? Does he still enjoy your full support?
I hold to my view that we need a change of what Ms Gray has described as ‘the senior political leadership at the centre’.
It must be left to my Conservative colleagues to listen to their constituents and form their own conclusions as to necessary future action.
Our £84,144-a-year Kent-based MP claims £1,320 a MONTH in expenses for her spending with a Hampshire PR firm with ties to Tory HQ in London for videos, podcast, newsletter and weekly "5 Highlights" – the latest of which includes "publishing my newsletter”
I've had a word with Priti Patel to get MI5 and Special Branch to have a serious look at the traitors at the
@StortfordIndie
who tried to force me to condemn our Dear Leader in their seditious rag.
#borisforever
Is Tory MP
@JulieMarsonMP
’s venomous attack on
@StortfordIndie
an everyday example of an MP behaving badly, or indicative of something more disturbing?
For
@SHAKATAK_UK
original guitarist Keith Winter, the jazz funk band's gig at
@South_Mill_Arts
this weekend marks a remarkable recovery from a crippling nerve disorder that ruled him out of action for 30 years
You got a pat on the head in her first online monthly newsletter + the contents of her spiked column from two weeks ago: Hertford East trains and hare coursing. Don’t worry, we’ll continue to do our job diligently and keep her offline constituents in Stortford informed
Go on then,
@JulieMarsonMP
, who did you vote for?
And if you continue to refuse to say, can you please explain to the nice people watching *why* they shouldn’t know who you want to be our next PM? Thanks
#ToryLeadershipContest
#ToryLeadershipRace
LATEST Conservatives lose control of
@EastHerts
for first time since 1995. With 2 seats to be recounted at 1pm, Greens have 17 seats (+15), Con 16 (-23), Lib Dem 10 (+4), Lab 5 (+3). In
#Stortford
, the Tories have just 3 of the 14 seats
#easthertselection
No 217 out today - please support your local paper: it helps to keep the community connected and helps us harness the spirit of Stortford’s community in events like our Indies awards 🙏
17-year-old Oscar Wilson, who has been playing at
@BSRUGBY
since he was 6, made his debut for Gallagher English Premiership leaders
@Saracens
in a league cup tie last Wednesday night - and was back at college in a maths class the next day...
Labour have won both seats in Stortford Central and the Liberal Democrats all three in Stortford North - the Conservatives are being obliterated in the town
#easthertselections
That may be, but we’re old-fashioned and like to ask the MP a direct question in the hope of a direct answer, which we can then pass on to a wider audience, thereby fulfilling her obligation to engage as fully as possible with her constituents, especially those who are offline 👍
@StortfordIndie
@JulieMarsonMP
This is the government's view on this subject - they have their own proposals (which don't go far enough in most people's view) but they are hardly likely to support a Labour bill if they have their own plans
Chancellor Rishi Sunak on windfall taxes
A decent and responsible Government relies on honesty, integrity and mutual respect - it is a matter of profound personal regret that I must leave Government as I no longer believe those values are being upheld.
I have submitted my letter of resignation to the Prime Minister.
No 293 out today - a souvenir edition to remember a momentous period in modern national and local history. You might even be in it!
Buy your copy from us direct, in person, cash only, at 7 Palmers Lane and we’ll give you a discount AND a chocolate from our box of delights 🙏
.
@HertfordLibDem
: "MPs like
@JulieMarsonMP
who excuse
#BorisJohnson
's behaviour show their unfitness for office by displaying their lack of judgement. They are complicit in the debasement of our country."
No 81 out today... newspaper sales up 27% YOY since
@HertsEssexObs
folded, online audience growing monthly (124k UVs in March & 70k at halfway in April), 6.2k Facebook followers and ad rev rising... what’s going right?
@mediaguardian
@GreensladeR
@IliffeMedia
Just had a chance to finish reading this weeks
@StortfordIndie
- I read a lot of papers and I can honestly say for a small local paper this is bursting with news & information. That’s not the norm it’s the exception - Hats off to the editorial team in very tough times.
1/2 On this day 6 years ago the first Stortford Indie was published 💙 Sincere thanks to everyone who has contributed to our own story, from writing to advertising to buying 🙏
We are a weekly reflection of life in your town. Please keep supporting your local paper - and please
FYI Twitter… The office of
@JulieMarsonMP
complained to the editorial director of our publisher
@IliffeMedia
about our news Ed
@indy_Sinead
asking questions that required “time-consuming answers” 🙄 - an issue with which the previous MP had no issue 🤷♂️
1/4 It’s our 300th edition today! Yay!
It was a big deal in October 2017 to launch a printed paper in the digital age - and since then we’ve had significant challenges in the form of Covid and the cost-of-living crisis. But we’re still here.
It’s not easy...
Villagers in the Hallingburys, Hatfield Heath and Hatfield Broad Oak are waking up to news that they have a Harlow MP: Chris Vince, the man who came second to Julie Marson in Hertford and Stortford four-and-a-half years ago