Theresa May heads for her limousine in Norwich today – photos © The Eye Snapper – all rights reserved
The most farcical General Election in recent years brought a campaign caravan to Norwich today, but you could be forgiven for missing it.
When John Major was seeking re-election as Prime Minister he adopted the old fashioned approach of taking a soap-box into local market places and standing on it to address the crowds directly. Even in hostile locations he gained a lot of respect for this open and honest approach.
Jeremy Corbyn is another believer in direct contact with the public. When he visited Norwich during his first leadership campaign he addressed a packed Open hall, but also took the time to go and repeat his address to the hundreds outside who could not get in. He is regularly seen talking to welcoming crowds and is relaxed and friendly when approached. He happily posed for Norwich Eye and other photographers.
But our current Prime Minister appears to be made of different stuff, and has built a wall of security and secrecy around herself after calling an election which many see as serving Conservative Party interests rather than the national interest.
There were rumours of a Prime Minister campaign visit to Norwich today, but Norwich Eye did not get any of the customary press notices to help our readers get the message. However, we did get a tip-off so sent a team up to the back end of the Airport, where a few tell-tale limousines and black Range Rovers suggested something happening.
After a while a door opened and a few men in suits rushed out, followed by Theresa May. She must have experienced nearly five seconds worth of Norwich fresh air. Well as fresh as you can expect at the back end of an airport. Keen to engage with her on her plans for Norwich and a few other pressing questions we gave chase to the speeding cortege as it shot away. Sadly, as we observe traffic laws we lost the Prime Ministerial cavalcade as it shot across a set of red lights and on to the ring road, heading East.
Norwich and the rest of the country deserve better than this. We are being asked to decide on the next five years government and need to be able to hold our leaders to account. This visit for a few campaign workers and a sycophantic token press pack could have taken place anywhere and shows an insulting disregard for Norwich people who are traditionally polite, welcoming and tolerant.
What would you have said to Theresa May today? Do tell us!
I would ask her why she lies all the time. She lied to Andrew Marr when she said that the Tory party had complied fully with the electoral commission enquiry into Tory party election fraud. The truth is of course that they tried every delaying tactic they could until they were threatened with legal action. I would ask her when we will benefit from the “strong economy” she keeps banging on about. I would ask her to give just one of the “complex reasons” nurses have to go to food banks. I would ask her why the wealth of the super rich has increased by 14% when the rest of us suffer from austerity measures. I would ask her why she gives government contracts to tax avoiding companies so that our tax money, paid in subsidies, ends up in the Cayman Islands etc. I would ask her why she won’t take part in a proper TV debate if she is so proud of her government’s record. I could go on and on and on !