I wrote to local MPS shocking reply!!

[jackiedo]

We are not going to agree on this. I am of the opinion thta he will have learned his lesson. Let's also remember that they will be getting so much correspondance on a wide range of things, and that we have all made off the cuff remarks that we regret.
Also, mental scarring is a contentious issue. Why should horses suffer more than pigs, sheep and cows? someone who is not a horse lover will not feel as we do. Yes he cocked up, I am sure he is aware of it. What do you want. Do you want him sacked?

[melissa]

er no jackiedo - it would be nice for him to be more professional about it at the end of the day and deal with the issue raised rather than ponse about with long winded reasons about his office politics.
yes, i am sure they do get alot of mail....but hey thats their job, if they are not up to it, then they shouldn't do it.
with regard to the mental scarring....why bother discussing it if it was an off the cuff remark? that is not what my gripe is. it is purley the way he has handled this.

[Deleted]

I'm totally with you on this, melissa. What a load of tripe about his working arrangements! Seems to indicate that his job is more on his mind that Debutante's concern. It is a very unprofessional letter and I certainly hope he can do better than that if he needs to.

As for the question of the joke that was not supposed to be public, I'm not vastly impressed that this is seen as a joking matter even in private. This is a concern of a voter, that should be enough to be taken seriously by any political party. Regardless of the weak expressions of sympathy at the end, that this remark was made at all indicates it was thought.

Yes, politicians do get all sorts of letters but, as melissa says, that is their job. They are there to serve us, that is what they are paid for, not for ribbing each other at their constituents' expense behind their backs.

Yes, he cocked up. Does he care? No, I don't think so, unless it might affect his job. What do we want? For him to take debutante's question seriously and act on it would be nice.

[jackiedo]

Speaking as someone who gets complaints that people are not going to pay their council tax until we stop things like Birds flying over their garden, stop Rats eating waste food left on the floor when they are only feeding birds, stop their next door neighbours baby crying when it wakes in the night, absolutely convinced that it is their neighbour's fault that a wasp flew from their garden into their house and stung their kid (because neighbour had opportunity to kill it, but didn't), etc, I can understand that someone, who was not particularily used to horses would think this not a priority, when they are making statements like mental scarring. Yes I am very sure that all animals travelling long distances suffer psychological distress and I would like to see live export of any food animals stopped full stop. From reading the posts he was NOT responding to the correspondance, but passing it on to an appropriate person. It was a response to a question "how did this happen" and I believe it was answered truthfully. I am sorry that we can be so understanding towards animals, yet so unforgiving towards humans.

[melissa]

Sorry jackiedo Ii really don't get where you are coming from on this one. those examples you have given are so trivial....we are talking about something very very serious here, not someone complaining about a bird flying over their garden!?!?
I am sorry but this man holds a professional position supposedly serving the public. My mother is in management within the government and I can assure you there is no way she would have ever written a letter in that manner. Its almost childlike. But that is just my opinion.

There seems to have been no mention of the original issue either...? I guess he forgot, but hey thats ok, he's only human and they are only horses

[melissa]

Thanks Lizp - glad you agree.

[jackiedo]

Melissa something is only trivial when it happens to someone else. To the complainants it is deadly serious. We are going round and round on this one. I am against live transport, I have said it before, but what do you want given the circumstances?
It has happened. It can't be undone. Be gracious and accept an apology

[melissa]

Lets just agree to disagree on this one jackiedo - I do not agree with a single thing that MP has done or said. Be gracious and accept an apology?? I don't think so. Not good enough for me I'm afraid.

Those examples you gave *were* trivial in comparison to issues of live transport. I never said they were trivial to the person who wrote them.

No it can't be undone but he could have at the very least been more professional in his response AND dealt with the actual issue that was raised in the first place. This seems to have been forgotten about.

If he had written in a more professional manner and dealt with the original issue raised then maybe I would feel differently.

[Lulu]

Urm, isn't this actually about an MP's assistant, not an MP/MP him/her self ??

[Deleted]

Yes, lulu, but to quote an old boss of mine (a charming American, I assure you) "s1ht rolls uphill". If your staff are unprofessional and stuff up, then don't know how to handle the fallout, yes, that is their issue but it's also yours for either hiring staff unsuited to the job of failing to ensure that they are trained in this sort of situation.

I used to be a tax manager for one of the major international accounting firms. My secretary mixed up the envelopes for two tax returns I was sending out, the wrong person got the wrong return. Yes, she made the mistake but I was responsible and I did the apologising. I then put a system in place to avoid it happening again.

If something happens on your watch, apologise without excuses and do your best to make sure you learn from it.

[debutante]

hi firstly thank-you for talking about this - i have been away for a few days as i have been unable to get online something wrong with the connection?

Lulu- yes and no - the original gripe is with what we can assume is an assistant the next gripe is with the response from the mp's pa who is speaking on behalf of the mp so we seem to have a problem with them both - i actually addressed my letter to them mp seems he didnt have time to write back so passed this down to the PA - perhaps this party is just run in an unproffesional shambles like manner

I am going to take some time and write back to this MP as in my opinion i am not happy with the response for the main point being he has just cast aside my original reason for contacting them! i have worked in offices and i would not of done this if i was a manager or a tea girl!! say i was working at an office and had an email from somebody with a disabillity and i was to pass a comment like the staff from this party have and i hit the 'wrong' button and they got a sarki comment on there disability by accident i dont think they will have let this go lightly.

[melissa]

fully agree lizp and debutante...but then i think you know that by now!