Goodman, Key and Young are best responders
A post on Guido Fawkes earlier today alerted me to the excellent WriteToThem.com website and its MP Responsiveness League Table. Top of the league is Paul Goodman (who is also exceptional in responding to the comments made on his regular ConservativeHome posts). Second is Sir George Young and third is my own local MP, Robert Key.
Not only are the top three 'first responders' all Tories, the overall response rate of Conservative MPs is excellent:
- 74% Tory MPs responded within 2-3 weeks.
- The LibDem rate was 14% lower at 60%.
- The yellow army just pipped the red army rate of 58%.
- Parliament's least savoury parties - Sinn Fein (20%) and Respect (7%) - had the poorest response rates.
Snail mail letters might get less attention than communications sent through WriteToThem as this service becomes more popular and its results more regularly analysed...
On a personal note I have to agree with Robert Key's high personal rating. My home in Salisbury is situated on the bend of a road and in the last year or so, three cars have come crashing towards my front door. Pasted below is a photo of the most spectacular episode. Robert Key has been brilliant at sorting the issue out. The roadside kerb has now been raised after his intervention and I can now sit in my living room, watching Desperate Housewives et al, with less fear of a lorry coming through the window any moment. Thanks Rob!
Tim, could you turn the picture above into a CHome postcard we can send to potential Gold List candidates with the question "whatyagohnadoabartit, eh?" ready printed on it. That'll sort them out.
Posted by: Victoria Street | February 20, 2006 at 15:33
Could not be bothered having cars crashing into my door.
Posted by: Rob Largan | February 20, 2006 at 16:21
Will a raised kerb really stop a lorry? Must be very very high kerb.
Posted by: Robbo | February 20, 2006 at 16:29
Stop worrying me, Robbo. It is quite high.
Posted by: Editor | February 20, 2006 at 16:32
Is there not now an increased risk of drunks tripping over the raised curb and coming through the front window that way?
Posted by: William Norton | February 20, 2006 at 16:38
They'll fall into the railings, William. A problem for the NHS. Not me. Not very compassionate conservative, I'm afraid!
Posted by: Editor | February 20, 2006 at 16:43
Wait until the health and saftey brigade hear about this. That curb has to be dangerous to pedestrians in some ridiculous way or other...
Posted by: Chris Palmer | February 20, 2006 at 16:45
Looks like bad feng shui to me. Were the three drivers men?
Posted by: a-tracy | February 20, 2006 at 16:46
They were, a-tracy.
Posted by: Editor | February 20, 2006 at 16:51
I'm not surprised that Paul Goodman tops the list. He's one of the most intelligent and competent Conservatives in the House of Commons and would have a higher profile nationally if he didn't prefer hard work to grandstanding.
As for the situation in Salisbury, Robert Key obviously takes pavement politics very seriously (and literally).
Posted by: Tory T | February 20, 2006 at 17:00
And the gas leak? Risky living indeed by the Editor.
Posted by: jane | February 20, 2006 at 17:25
"Parliament's least savoury parties - Sinn Fein (20%) and Respect (7%) - had the poorest response rates"
In all fairness Mr Galloway must get *much* more mail than the average MP.
And the DUP are at least as unsavoury as SF IMHO (but that is a whole other kettle of haddock)
Posted by: comstock | February 20, 2006 at 19:44
Given the activity of LibDems in the City Centre wards of Salisbury I am suprised that your lovelly curb hasn't featured in dozens of Focus newsletters.
Posted by: Andrew Kennedy | February 20, 2006 at 20:11
In the 2001 Election, in my capacity as Sales Manager for a UK manufacturer of Cough Lozenges, I sent samples to both of the main party leaders, and Charles Kennedy, to aid them with their vocal chords for the upcoming hustings.
We received a personal letter of thanks from William Hague. (Presumably handled by his office, but personally signed). We received a letter of thanks from Tony Blair's office. (Fair enough, he was the PM and probably was quite busy!). And the Lib Dems? Not even an acknowledgement! Tells you something, I feel!.
Posted by: Jon White | February 20, 2006 at 21:41
Tim, are you sure that wasn't a picture of you parking your car? You can admit it to us. We are all friends here. :o)
Posted by: Jonathan Sheppard | February 21, 2006 at 01:36
If Comstock thinks the DUP (fundamentalist pro-British bigots who are exclusively non-violent) and Sinn Fein (fundamentalist anti-British bigots directly responsible for killing and maiming thousands of innocent people in a decades-long terrorist campaign) are as bad as each other then I think he's a morally confused idiot who has no place in the Conservative Party.
Posted by: Tory T | February 21, 2006 at 09:37
My MP, Laxton, is the highest of the Labour lot, no ammmunition for us here in Derby North on that front.
Posted by: Matthew Oxley | February 21, 2006 at 15:17
I would agree with you Tory T.
Posted by: malcolm | February 21, 2006 at 15:24
Mark Todds not doing too bad either which is a shame.
Posted by: Andrew Woodman | February 21, 2006 at 17:23
BBCi:
"Conservative Iain Liddell-Grainger was disqualified from the writetothem.com league table after sending five messages from a hotmail account. Site director Tom Steinberg said this had made his data "unreliable". But the MP said the messages had been sent to show the findings were "bunk" and "statistically inaccurate".
Posted by: Editor | February 21, 2006 at 21:53
"Comstock thinks the DUP (fundamentalist pro-British bigots who are exclusively non-violent)"
Non violent? ha ha HA. I'm no expert on NI but what about the UDF UDA etc?
"I think he's a morally confused idiot who has no place in the Conservative Party."
Morally confused? No, I don't think so
Idiot? Proberbly. I'm a *harmless* sort of idiot though!!
Member of the Conservative Party? Never in a million years!
Posted by: comstock | February 24, 2006 at 14:17