Former leading Lib Dem activist backs Anne Marie Morris

Profile image for NATory

By NATory | Wednesday, April 28, 2010, 09:17

Former Liberal Democrat parliamentary

candidate, Richard Copus, has thrown his backing behind Anne Marie Morris, the

Conservative candidate for Newton Abbot.

Richard Copus, who stood for Exeter

against Ben Bradshaw in 2001 and for Plymouth Devonport in 1997, said that he

felt the Liberal Democrats had “lost the plot”. Richard also worked as press

officer on Teignbridge Lib Dem campaigns.

He said: “I was a Founder Member of

the SDP and welcomed with open arms the merger with the Liberals.  But

after a highly successful two decades the Lib Dems have run out of steam.

“There is hypocrisy within the party

over Europe and education which hides behind their fresh faced policies they

feed to the media, and the Lib Dem’s last minute about-turn on HIPs has saddled

house sellers with a costly, bureaucratic pain.  For the first time in history,

you now have to effectively obtain government permission to put your house on

the market because if you don’t provide a HIP you will be fined up to £200 a

day if caught.”

“Anne

Marie Morris is a positive and enthusiastic candidate with an entrepreneurial

background.  As an independent businesswoman she has been living in the

real world and is not of the politics graduate, commons researcher come MP

which too many constituencies are saddled with today. She is breath of fresh

air for Teignbridge and I am sure will be the clean brush which we all

desperately need.”

Richard has a particular interest in

housing and is Devon spokesman for the main professional body for estate

agents.

He said: “Whilst the

Lib Dems are a good talking shop, the Conservative housing policy has balls. Bring planning decisions down to local level where everyone can become

involved.  Encourage a mix of housing in developments with an emphasis on

social housing to rent and low cost housing with the right to buy.  Our

rural communities desperately need these homes to keep the few remaining shops,

schools and pubs alive, and our towns also want them."

 

 

      

Comments

       
  • Profile image for PJCOOMBES

    I totally agree. His leaflets are full of complete and utter rubbish used to scaremonger voters into supporting him. I like the way Anne Marie leads a positive campaign. Furthermore this is a marginal seat, to get labour out, the tories must win here. I think a vote for Anne Marie will kill two birds with one stone, hopefully ousting labour and getting rid of this Younger Ross man.

    By PJCOOMBES at 14:11 on 29/04/10

      Report
              
     
  • Profile image for jennifer2009

    I've always seen RYR as a bit of a wet figure. I think he's pretty harmless but not exactly the most inspiring of MPs. Hardly any of the MPs have been found to be totally transparent and exempt from corruption - so I don't hold that particulally against him. Question, does anyone actually read his colunm in the MDA? I'd rather watch paint dry.

    By jennifer2009 at 11:55 on 29/04/10

      Report
              
     
  • Profile image for Nizzletrout

    I'd always voted Lib Dem until I met RYR. His much reported agreement in accepting a £9000 sweetener to agree a rent rise that would be picked up by the tax-payer reflects what is wrong with politics today. As he received it by reason of his employment(he wouldn't have been renting the flat had he not been an MP) he should have paid tax on it. When he was just a prospective parliamentary candidate he stated that MPs were well paid but when he got in he promptly voted for a wage increase.
    He now claims to be the local candidate (coming from Surrey or is it Middlesex?) and says the Tory  has been parachuted in from Sussex ( I believe she said she comes from Brixham).
    On the politics show he supported the money we pour into the EU and Eastern Europe and said words to the effect that when the economies of Eastern Europe grow they will buy our goods. Tell that to the former workers at Terry's Chocolate who saw their jobs move to Poland.

    By Nizzletrout at 20:51 on 28/04/10

      Report
              
     
max 4000 characters
        
   

Latest Stories in Newton Abbot

       
      

Local Jobs

       
   

Search for...

       
        
Min price is bigger than Max price
        
Min price is bigger than Max price
        
Min rent is bigger than Max rent