In the lead letter in Tuesday’s Gazette, Andy Abbott criticised me for not responding to an invitation to attend an “anticuts”

meeting at Colchester Town Hall tomorrow evening.

The letter of invitation to me was dated Sunday, January 30, and was received in my office on Monday, January 31. Thus Mr Abbott wrote his letter of criticism to the Gazette on the day the invitation arrived in my office.

Readers may well conclude this represents some very sharp practice.

Young people in Colchester would do well to look at Mr Abbott’s track record over the years as a serial protester at whatever is the current mood of the moment.

I invite Mr Abbott to publish a record of what he has done throughout his adult years in terms of employment.

What is his current occupation?

Any young person, provided they are a constituent, is welcome to contact me. Several have done so over the years and recently.

I do not recognise in them the sort of attitude displayed by Mr Abbott, and I would urge caution to any young person who believes that in this class warrior they have a champion.

So far as tomorrow evening is concerned, anyone with an ounce of political awareness would know active MPs will still be at the House of Commons.

If I was to drop everything just to satisfy the anarchists and their fellow travellers for their Colchester shindig, then it would mean me cancelling (a) participation in the Armed Forces Bill, which is of great importance to our garrison town; (b) meeting representatives of the Ministry of Defence Police Federation; and (c) attending a briefing about life for Palestinian people living in the occupied territories.

I am confident all sensible residents would not want me to neglect my Parliamentary duties at the demand of Mr Abbott.

Bob Russell
MP for Colchester
House of Commons