There are twenty one days until Independents' Day

There are twenty one days until the independent candidate, Geoffrey Woollard, is elected as M.P. for South East Cambridgeshire.

Geoffrey Woollard says: "I am standing as an INDEPENDENT because, though I was a Conservative County Councillor and a party activist, I disagree with Mr James Paice and the Conservatives on important issues."

"I disagree with Mr Paice regarding hunting and hare coursing. I have long held a special hatred for hare coursing but Mr Paice says (in a letter dated 12th June, 2008, i.e. well after the anti-hunting Act was passed), 'I personally dislike hare coursing intensely but would be reluctant to ban it because of my libertarian instincts.' By that logic, we would still have bear-baiting and cock-fighting. Conservatives say that they will vote to 'un-ban' hunting. Shame on them."

"I disagree with Mr Paice and the Conservatives on the misguided adventure in Afghanistan. We and the Americans went into that hell-hole at President Bush's behest to 'smoke out' Osama bin Laden, and what has been achieved aside from the killing and maiming of hundreds of our people and thousands of Afghans? Nothing. We should bring our boys home now and, if the Labour Government won't decide thus, the Conservatives ought to. I am not a pacifist and I would support the defence of the Falkland Islands or anything feasible to deal with Zimbabwe's difficulties with Mr Mugabe."

"I disagree with Mr Paice with regard to the future of our Cambridgeshire Fens. My belief is that he has paid too much attention to the proponents of the National Trust's so-called 'Wicken Vision' and too little attention to its opponents. As 'shadow Minister of Agriculture,' I had been hoping that he would be a better supporter of farming and food-growing but it appears, instead, that he is still waiting to see which way the wind of public opinion is blowing."

But what does Geoffrey Woollard stand for?

Geoffrey wants the electors of South East Cambridgeshire to be put 'on the map' and what a turn-up it would be if they returned a truly independent M.P., un-whipped by any party machine? He has a feeling that Mr Paice's predecessors, of whatever party, were more 'independent' (Lord Pym, Sir Harry Legge-Bourke and Sir Clement Freud come to mind) and he knows that our local electors are very independent-minded. Perhaps it's an historic phenomenon old Cambridgeshire and the Isle of Ely? Oliver Cromwell was the most eminent Member of Parliament from this part of England and he was always independent.

Geoffrey wants credit to be given where credit is due. The New Labour Governments under Tony Blair and Gordon Brown have done much good. There being little visible difference between the major parties on economic and foreign affairs, voting now may be decided by social and moral issues: he believes that Labour has an edge in this respect. Under Tony Blair's leadership, the class warfare of old took a back seat. Also under Labour, civil partnerships were made lawful and have become accepted. Labour members, with notable help from some Conservatives such as Ann Widdecombe, additionally ensured the passing of the anti-hunting Act, outlawing the awful and abominable 'sport' of hare coursing. These reforms would not have been feasible under Margaret Thatcher or John Major, but they are greatly to Labour's credit.

Geoffrey wants more people to be enthusiasts for Cambridgeshire's Education, probably the finest in the land and working alongside our wonderful Universities. Though he favours freedom of choice, he is less enthusiastic for independent schools; some Conservatives are obsessed with them. He has studied extensively the operation of school vouchers in California and is wholly opposed to them.

Geoffrey and his wife are users and strong supporters of the National Health Service. They know that many millions of our people could not manage without it and that 'going private' is not an option for them.

Geoffrey wants our local economy to thrive and he will do all that he can to promote our County's interests, but he also wants a slowing down of inward migration to Cambridgeshire and a slowing down of immigration nationally.

Geoffrey is not a supporter of multi-culturalism and he has severe reservations about Great Britain becoming more multi-racial. He has no desire for our country soon to suffer the same race problems as the Americans have in their homeland. Immigration and race relations are rarely mentioned by the major political parties, but they rightly worry our own British people.

Bearing in mind that Labour is a lost cause in South East Cambridgeshire, Geoffrey urges Labour supporters to vote for him as he is in tune with much of what New Labour is and has done.

Bearing in mind that he rarely agrees with what the leading local Liberal Democrats say and do, Geoffrey urges their activists to vote for their candidate.

Bearing in mind his criticisms of Mr James Paice and the Conservatives and his more independent ideas, Geoffrey urges Mr Paice's people to consider voting independent - for Geoffrey Woollard.

Any and all others - for UKIP, the Greens, etc. - will be wasted votes and will achieve nothing.

Most of all, Geoffrey urges electors who are naturally independent - or who are presently undecided - to support him. If elected, he will listen, take advice, think things through for himself and make up his own mind on the important issues of the day, and he will act and vote accordingly, hopefully in the best interests of the whole of South East Cambridgeshire - his life-time home and the home of the ancestors of both his wife and himself.

If you, too, prefer to think for yourself and don't desire a perpetual party-line-toeing politician, then .......

VOTE GEOFFREY WOOLLARD, INDEPENDENT