Thursday 30 April 2015
Tonight's Hustings at St Andrews Church, Oxshott
I am sorry not to be joining the hustings tonight at St
Andrew’s Church, Oxshott. We’ve had five hustings so far, at which I have been
subject to unsubstantiated and personal attacks by the independent candidate,
Della Reynolds. This is part and parcel of politics. However, last week, Della
likened the Conservative deficit reduction plan to the persecution of the Jews
and other groups by the Nazis. When given the opportunity to apologise and
retract the statement, she stood by her comparison. Her remarks were reported here.
When it was pointed out that this was particularly offensive
to me, given my father fled the Nazis, she stated on a local discussion website:
“Let us get a few facts straight. Dominic Raab’s father was Czech refugee who
came to Britain in 1938. So, not immediately connected with the horrors of the
holocaust”. You can read these remarks here. (For the record, my father fled to
Britain with his parents via a refugee camp in Tangiers, and the rest of his
family who didn’t escape, including his grandparents, perished.)
These unsavoury statements cross the line of decency in
debate. I’m not prepared to have myself, my Party or my volunteers likened to
Nazis. Without an apology, I am not willing to share a platform with Della. She
is of course free to say what she likes. I am equally free not to be dragged
into gutter politics.
I am only sorry not to have the chance to address those
attending. I am hosting a public meeting on Tuesday at 7.30pm at Churchgate
house in Cobham, and you would be very welcome. In addition, I would be only
too happy to come down to speak to you individually or as a group in Oxshott next
Monday or Wednesday evening. Please just drop me an email at dominic.raab@esherwalton.com, if you are interested, and I will
make the arrangements.
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