Website tells voters to ditch Carlisle MP Eric Martlew at election
Last updated at 16:50, Tuesday, 07 April 2009
Anonymous opponents of Eric Martlew are using the internet to try to defeat the Labour MP for Carlisle at the next General Election.
A website, www.byebyeeric.com, urges voters to support any candidate in preference to Mr Martlew.
Under a photo of the MP with a highwayman’s mask imposed on top, it says: “The editors and contributors to this website would like to say bye bye to Eric and usher in a new era of high-quality representation at Westminster.
“Carlisle is a great city, and has been for over 2,000 years.
“Under the representation of Eric Martlew our city is at risk and has declined in many ways since he was elected.”
Visitors to the website are invited to post a message for Mr Martlew to “wish him good luck in his retirement” or ask him about “key issues”.
It says that any messages posted – none have appeared so far – will be printed in a retirement card to be sent to the MP when an election is called.
Mr Martlew has represented Carlisle since 1987.
He had a majority of 5,695 over the Conservatives at the last General Election in 2005 but boundary changes since have made the seat more marginal.
He told the News & Star that he was unfazed by the website dedicated to unseating him.
“It’s just one of those things,” he said. “It doesn’t bother me one bit.”
The site has no address or contact details.
But it carries web links to Mr Martlew’s official website and those of his Conservative rival John Stevenson and Liberal Democrat opponent Steven Tweedie.
Both deny any involvement although Mr Tweedie says he knows who is responsible.
“They asked me to keep it confidential,” he said.
“It’s a group of people who live in the constituency with a non-political background.”
First published at 11:35, Monday, 06 April 2009
Published by http://www.newsandstar.co.uk
Quite frankly anyone who can stir up this much debate in our city should be put forward by his party for election. Half the city do not even know who there Councillor is or was before this!! Ask yourself....what have our representatives done for us. My father did as instructed by governments, worked all his life, saved and invested in private pensions. He was severely let down by our NHS system and after a medical error was left to die in a residential home here in the city. His private pensions were taken to pay for his care and my mother is now left to survive, like may penisoners, on the breadline. Each time she gets an increase on his pension the council step in and take it off her, at over 80 years old she has to pay rent and council tax contributions because the small income she receives takes her over the amount the governement says she must live on. Where was our councillors then when we were asking for help and advice..........to busy looking for campaigns that get them noticed to be bothered. Your mistake Mr Tweedie was to 'hide' behind a website, you should have come out into the open with your comments perhaps then we would not all be so apathetic and some of us would have stood alongside you, whatever happens do not let your party make you hide under a cycle helmet, we need outspoken people to shake the many faceless councillors in this city.
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err bit of a silly question... but are people on here actually aware that Eric Martlew is no longer MP for Carlisle??? He stood down last year. The replacement Labour candidate was unsuccessful. Carlisle is now 'represented' by Conservative MP John Stevenson.
Perhaps this information will go a little way to explaining why Eric has been so quiet lately!!
Posted by Fiona on 19 April 2011 at 23:12