Conservative MP for Beverley and Holderness, Graham Stuart, has apologised for wrongly using his Parliamentary email address.
In an email containing his e-news issued from his Parliamentary email address, Mr Stuart asked for volunteers to deliver surveys to every house in the constituency canvassing views on what is important to them.
This prompted a swift response from Labour’s Prospective Parliamentary candidate, Margaret Pinder, who issued an open letter challenging this request as a breach of the House of Commons Code of Conduct.
Within hours of the letter going public, Mr Stuart issued a public retraction of his original email claiming it was due to a “mix up” in his office which had not understood the survey had political content and was therefore not appropriate to promote from a Parliamentary email address and accepting that it should not have been issued.
Margaret Pinder welcomed the withdrawal of the email, but remains critical of his handling of the whole incident.
“While I’m pleased that Mr Stuart has acknowledged he was wrong to issue such a request, it still raises serious questions about his judgement as a politician and a Parliamentarian. His retraction suggests that the e-news was issued without his being aware of the content or that it was being sent from his Parliamentary email address, which should not be used for political campaign business.”
“I find this hard to credit. We are now officially in the long campaign in the run-up to the general election as he is well aware. In less than four weeks the short campaign commences when Mr Stuart will no longer be able to conduct business as a Member of Parliament.”
“This whole incident shows either wilful negligence in the running of his office or a complacency surrounding a general culture of disregard for the proper and appropriate rules of Parliamentary conduct. Either way the whole matter does him no credit and once again raises serious questions over his personal and political judgement.”
Smart Property Management: Strategies For Success
Spotlight On Lifelong Learning: How Advanced Education Is Shaping Beverley’s Professionals
Must-See Attractions in and Around Beverley
Yorkshireman Olly Alexander is Representing the UK at Eurovision
Beverley Businesses Thrive with a New Approach to Goal Setting
Always a shame when this happens .i remember Karl Turner doing something similar with invitations to a Labour party fund raising dinner masked as a The Hull and Humber Economic Summit. He cancelled in the end .
We all make mistakes don’t we .
Yes but this matter is now closed – I all parties can now focus on the important issues
I cannot understand why Graham Stuart had to make an apology, as he was asking the people who he has been elected to represent what they want to happen in their area. To me this is another example of our failed political system, when the opposition are only out to score points and not to try and benefit the people who they make out they are supposed to represent.
Just the rules of the land Brian – petty as it may seem they are there for a reason. Hes resolved it now – all done.
its just political point scoring ,you would think that some people are above making mistakes and butter would not melt in there mouth. This i believe was just a mistake but according to Mrs Pinder a most hideous crime. An election always brings the best out in some people.
After 10 years as the local MP, Graham Stuart suddenly wants to find out what the issues are !! If he hadn’t been challenged for abusing parliamentary procedures, he would have used his parliamentary office to promote his campaign for re-election, It’s not petty. Its the rules to try and ensure a fair election and he broke them.