Turning his back on Tatton voters
VOTERS in George Osborne’s Cheshire constituency spoke of their disbelief that he isn’t resigning as their MP, as it emerged he seldom visits the area.
He does not advertise regular surgeries for constituents and only five engagements in his Tatton seat have been publicised so far this year, the Daily Mail has learned.
Charlotte Peters Rock, who has campaigned to save health and social services in Knutsford, said: ‘One of the most basic things we expect from an MP is that he visits the constituency every week and holds a surgery, but you can only see Mr Osborne by appointment.
‘He seems to see his constituency as serving him, when it ought to be the other way around. The sooner we get rid of him, the better. He’s done absolutely nothing for Knutsford since he became an MP.’
Debbie Jamison, who has lived in Knutsford for the past 25 years and volunteers for several community projects, said his role as their MP had become ‘untenable’.
She said: ‘It just perpetuates his image as a career politician and it’s bad for politics as a whole. He seems to have been looking for an alternative career and, now he’s got it, he should resign. I thought he should have gone when he took up his advisory position with Blackrock – how can you justify being an MP and having another full-time job?
‘This town needs an MP prepared to put the hard work in.’ Vicky Lea, also from Knutsford, said: ‘He’s filthy rich from his first job. Why does he need other jobs? He can’t do all his jobs properly.’
Asked on BBC 5 Live if he thought it was possible to fulfil the roles of MP and newspaper editor, Mr Bell said: ‘If he’s Superman, I guess he can do it.’
Patti Goddard, president of Tatton Conservative Association, insisted editing the Evening Standard would be less time- consuming than being chancellor. ‘It’s exciting that George has got this new big role in our public life,’ she said.
She described him as a ‘hard-working MP’, adding: ‘The fact he’s editing the Evening Standard in the weekday mornings won’t affect that at all. After all, being chancellor was a 24/7 job.’ But Mr Osborne’s visits to Tatton are already few and far between. So far this year, his website and local papers have detailed just five engagements, three of which were on the same day, January 13. They included the opening of a care home, a meeting with GPs to discuss plans for a new health centre, and an event to mark 91 years of a community group.
He also held a meeting of school heads on February 24. On March 10 he helped residents with an undisclosed constituency matter, his office said. His spokesman said only a single surgery had taken place earlier this month at an unnamed location.