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Sir,

 

No fair minded person could come to the conclusion that Susan Duncan does when she claims that I criticised Angus B MacNeil for attending his father’s funeral rather than a debate on the reduction in oil duty. I most certainly did not and it is shameful behaviour to suggest for a moment I did so.

 

It is also an insult to the electorate.  Even the least well-informed can see that this type of smear is a smokescreen, designed to prevent the Western Isles SNP from answering any serious questions about the record and political effectiveness of the MP.

Why, for instance, does Angus B MacNeil not consult with council, even on these occasions when he vehemently disagrees with it? Why, unlike his counterpart in these islands, Orkney and Shetland, does he not put on any events to attract jobs, investment and even visitors to these islands?

 

Why is he spending so much of his precious time and parliamentary salary talking irrelevantly or ‘fist-pumping’ (Independent, 25/3/15) in the House of Commons rather than trying to improve the economic and cultural life of the Western Isles in more purposeful and imaginative ways?

 

Why, in his election leaflet, is he still attempting to claim credit for saving the Range when he can provide no clear or transparent reasons for doing so?  (In fact, from the documentation I have seen, his neglect of his duties actually endangered the 200 jobs there).

 

And finally, why is he allowing his supporters to stoop to these levels rather than allow serious discussions about the present state of the constituency?

 

I think the answers to these questions are – all too sadly – obvious. Instead of using this election campaign to permit  any proper consideration of the many problems and challenges the islands face,  Mr MacNeil – aided and abetted by an unholy trio of Ms Duncan, Messrs Harper and John Macdonald – prefers to put on an irrelevant sideshow.  Even for the most committed SNP supporter, it must be all too easy to spot the reasons why.

 

Donald S Murray

Seasgair

Casho

Quarff

Shetland

 

Letter:  MacNeil - “neglect of duties”

27 April 2015