15/04/10….Howell answers hustings ducking accusation

THE Conservative candidate for the Henley Constituency, John Howell, has replied to accusations from local Liberal Democrats that he declined an invitation to answer questions from Henley residents during the election campaign.

In a statement today, John Howell’s office said: “Thame?s invitation was made after the election had been called. The organisers acknowledged that it might not be possible to find a suitable date at that late notice. The date chosen clashed with other meetings already fixed in John?s diary.

“The Henley invitation too came late in the day when election period engagements had already been arranged. The date proposed of April 30 clashed with an engagement in Henley which had already been booked with John for some time.”

The statement continued:

“Although the Dorchester arrangements had been made earlier, the necessity to double-check the new election laws over such events introduced unavoidable delays and it was not possible to keep the date open.”

In a personal statement, John Howell said: “As those who tuned in to Radio Oxford and Radio Berkshire on April 14 will know, I was happy to participate in the live radio hustings which took place with the other main candidates. However, in what is a short campaign there are many calls on a candidate?s time particularly where the candidate has been the sitting MP and still needs to look after constituents who have approached him for help.

“The Liberal-Democrat candidate of course does not have these problems, having been parachuted into this constituency at the last minute from elsewhere in Oxfordshire.

?Each of us has to build a relationship with the electorate in our own way and that is what I have done over the past two years. It is a bit rich for the Liberal-Democrats to criticise me now for not being able to change my diary for an event which suits them when for the past two years they have made no effort to engage with the public in this constituency.”