A local initiative in Alan's Rutland constituency to sponsor an MP

Thanks to everyone for all the supportive emails during the Alan Duncan 'rations' firestorm. It was good to have encouragement in the face of Tory cheerleaders like Iain Dale who said on Newsnight that my parents must be ashamed of me. Iain (who seems unable to write my name with out chucking in adjectives like ‘ridiculous’ or ‘geeky’) got a fair bit of stick on his blog for his remark.

One of his readers said: “Why could you not just let your superior debating skills and intellect win the argument for you instead of bringing his parents into it? Pathetic. And in fairness to Prowse, he didn't rise to your taunts.”

Yes that’s right I made a totally conscious decision to take the higher ground. It had nothing to do with my lack of quick-wittedness and the fact that I was absolutely shitting myself. No - with hindsight I should really have responded with: "I wonder how proud Alan Duncan's parents are of him for making millions trading oil to Apartheid South Africa and Pakistan during the Gulf War, then using taxpayers' money to pay for his gardening costs." OH HINDSIGHT!

Iain posted this in response to the criticism:

UPDATE Thu 9am: This interview has attracted more negative comment than most I have done. Many people think I was far too hard on Heydon Prowse, that I was smug and condescending. That certainly wasn't the intention and having watched the interview again I do think people have gone over the top and in many cases have completely ignored what I actually said, and have critiqued what their prejudices think I said. Having said that, I don't think it was the best interview I have ever done. And it has made me realise I need to lose weight again!

I didn’t want to say anything Iain, especially on live TV – but you’re not wrong.

Below are some pictures sent to us by Martin Brookes who is running in the Oakham Town Council Election - South West Ward - on 17 September 2009. Good luck to him.

The MP rations book: