Tories paint Tamsin Dunwoody as "outsider" who won't stand up to Gordon Brown

We learnt overnight that Gwyneth Dunwood's daughter, Tamsin, has been adopted by the Crewe and Nantwich Labour Party as its candidate to succeed her mother.  Tory candidate Edward Timpson has wasted no time in trying to present the Labour candidate as an "outsider"* - living 175 miles away - who, unlike her mother, won't stand up to Gordon Brown:

“I’d like to congratulate Tamsin Dunwoody on becoming the Labour Party candidate in Crewe and Nantwich.  And I look forward to a campaign in which we can really debate the issues that matter to people in Crewe and Nantwich.  As a local man, who has lived and worked in the area all my life, I understand the worries and concerns of local people. 

“At a time when families are struggling with rising food, petrol and utility bills, they need help with the cost of living.  But Gordon Brown hit them when he got rid of the 10p tax band.  When violent crime in the local area has trebled, we need the police on the beat, not behind desks.  When local services are threatened with closure, we need an MP who campaigns to keep them open.  And we need more support for local services, with the NHS, local housing and schools under pressure because of increases in the population.

“Above all, we need an MP who will stand up to Gordon Brown and his Government.  Tamsin Dunwoody’s career in the Welsh Assembly suggests she won’t do that.  The only way you can send a message to Gordon Brown is by voting for me on May 22nd.”

If you can get to Crewe and Nantwich to help between now and the 22nd May please call 07594 567273 or email campaign.support@conservatives.com.

* Headline of Tory press release: "Edward Timpson: Tamsin Dunwoody is an outsider who won’t stand up to Gordon Brown"  Download PDF of Edward Timpson's letter to Tamsin Dunwoody.  

Related link: Thursday night's local election results were encouraging for Tory prospects in this by-election.

Comments

[Ken Stevens]

A bit dangerous to introduce the question of local connections with regard to candidature. Irrespective of political hue, how many party candidates/MPs are genuinely local to their constituencies?

[StevenAdams]

I disagree Ken; the local candidate approach is possibly the best approach he could have taken.

Attacking Labour principles (in Gwyneth's old seat) would alienate many potential voters. Attacking the opposition would seem heartless, as she is still grieving no doubt. By telling the electorate that this is an 'outsider' who would be a puppet voter for Gordon Brown he is both aligning himself with disenfranchised Labour voters, angry Tory voters, and swing voters who appreciate the local guy who 'understands them'.

It's not the most important thing, but if you can play the local card, then do I'd say.

[Dave B]

Looking at Mr Timpson's page on Conservatives.com I see that:

"Edward was selected as the Parliamentary Spokesman for the Crewe and Nantwich constituency at an open primary in July 2007."

Will it help that he was selected at an open primary? He's already won an election there, so presumably drummed up some interest/supporters among the voters.

I'm a big fan of primaries/direct democracy, so I'm crossing fingers and toes for a Timpson win :-)

[David (One of many)]

I agree with Steven. It avoids being personal, though I suspect one of the reasons she was picked as to make that method of attack seem cruel if we used it: 'Tory candidate mocks daughter of recently deceased MP'...

And the local angle will also work with the Lib Dem, who is being flown in from Newcastle.

[Yet Another Anon]

Attacking the opposition would seem heartless, as she is still grieving no doubt.
As the old saying goes, if you can't take the heat then stay out of the kitchen - the electors in Crewe & Nantwich may want a pussycat, but if they do they will want one at least with claws.

[localboy]

"the Lib Dem, who is being flown in from Newcastle"

er, Newcastle (under Lyme) is about 14/15 miles from Crewe - "flown in" ?

or are you confusing it with Newcastle upon Tyne ????

[Margaret on the Guillotine]

Newcastle is in a totally different county. The choice of Lib candidate betrays their localist principles; it's probably a pro-Labour ploy designed to prevent Lab to Lib protest voting (the Libs long term aim surely is to beat the Tories, and this is part of the strategy).

Well done to the Tories at grasping by-election campaigning techniques. Examine one C. Rennard for further details.

[Tony Makara]

This reeks of a desperate Labour party milking Gywnyth Dunwoody's death to try and secure an electoral shot in the arm after Thurday's debacle. They are counting on people being civil and not kicking up a fuss about it because they know Gywnyth Dunwoody was respected across the political spectrum. Typical political subterfuge from Gordon Brown.

[David (One of many)]

localboy - it seems that is precisely what I did. Woops ;)

[Victoria Bell]

There should be a three line whip for ALL MPs, MEPs and parlimentary candidates to help out at this by-election.

We must WIN IT!

[Richard Calhoun]

Strategically I would have thought it best to lay off Tamsin Dunwoody, being the daughter of Gwyneth it could re-bound badly

[Andrew Allison]

Edward Timpson is going to need all the help he can get. If I can get across from Hull, I will. The Conservative Party is awash with activists at the moment. Together we can beat Labour.

[Gordon Dudgeon]

It would be like the DUP picking Ian junior, to fill Ian Senior's seat in North Antrim, should he ever retire or leave this earth prematurely.

[welsh boy]

"I am committed to the future of our county." - Tamsin Dunwoody to the local press in Pembrokeshire before 2007 Assembly election.

"Committed" right up to the point she chucks away her seat to the Conservatives and then runs off to Crewe & Nantwich.

[Tim Roll-Pickering]

Gordon Dudgeon: Hardly - Junior has been an Assembly member for that seat since 1996 and his recent trouble was in North Antrim. The comparison would be valid if he'd made his political career in Fermanagh.

[Not Boris]

This outsider nonsense is hypocritical rubbish! How local is Nick Boles to Grantham? As Chief of Staff to Mayor Boris, is he really interested in the concerns of Grantham at the moment?

[localboy]

Edward keeps calling himself "local", "lived in the area all my life"

But I note he doesn't say where EXACTLY he lives?

So where does he live? Tarporley? Kelsall? Chester?

I think we should be told!!!

[Will James]

Having been a constituent of Tamsin Dunwoody when she was AM for Preseli Pembrokeshire, all I can say is that we had better win this by-election for the sake of the people of Crewe and Nantwich.

Unlike her mother - who I think everyone of all political persuasions respected and admired - Tamsin Dunwoody is a political lightweight, who did nothing to promote or protect her constituents and sat in a Labour administration that sped up rural school closures, saw standards drop in hospitals and failed to improve the parlous state of the Welsh transport system - which she was responsible for as a Deputy Minister in Rhodri Morgan's government.

It was these reasons, and more, that the Conservative Paul Davies unseated Tamsin Dunwoody by over 3,000 votes in May 2007. Lets make sure she doesn't inflict the same brand of insipid 'leadership' on the people of Crewe and Nantwich as she did on the people of Pembrokeshire!

[voreas]

From what I can see it looks like a good start. the key is clearly to associate Tamsin Dunwoody more with Brown and less with her mother. Although where her mother supported things like refusing an investigation into the Iraq war then she was wrong and it should be pointed out.

[Serf]

Although you might not want to take this line in public speeches, I think that criticising Labour for trying to create a family fiefdom might work.

One of the things that ordinary people hate about politicians is their sense of entitlement. Whether it be MPs milking the expenses system, or professional politicians assuming they have the right to tell us how to live, it annoys the hell out of us.

Someone who is the offspring of a politician and who becomes one themselves is in my opinion suspect. They think they are born to rule. (GW Bush or Al Gore being good examples).

When told on the doorstep that someone is thinking of voting for Gwyneth's daughter, it might be as well to ask them, if they really want someone, who obviously sees themselves as part of the ruling class, to be their representative.

[Cllr Nicholas Bennett]

A good start. Identify the Strenghts, weaknesses, opportunities and threats (SWOT) just as the LDs did to us in Bromley and Chislehurst in 2006. Good to see we have got ahead of the other parties.

[Examiner]

Have NuLabour now opted to abide by the Hereditary principle for their parliamentry seats? Hasn't the son of Two Jags John Prestcott also been proposed for his father's seat in Hull? Rumour has it that The Greet Broon's son's name has not been entered for his father's constituency, because it is a Scottish constituency. As you know the Greet Broon is officially, publically, British.

[Potteries]

You can hardly blame Tamsin Dunwoody for jumping on her mother's bandwagon. But let's hope for all our sakes it doesn't pay off, and the people of C & N choose real change instead.

[David Boothroyd]

Will Edward Timpson, if elected, stand up to the Conservative leadership if it is being opportunistic and not acting in the interests of Crewe and Nantwich? Will he break the whip to defend his constituents?