Talking about the new charitable fund to encourage independent candidates in all constituencies.
She made the point that those who believe Independents cannot make their mark in Parliament are totally wrong – they have a great deal of influence and, being free to speak and free to act, can represent their voters more effectively.
And DEFINITELY more effectively than Hugo Swire, who constantly tells us that, because he is a Foreign Office minister, he is not allowed to speak on East Devon issues in Parliament! For East Devon issues, read all issues.
He says he IS allowed to lobby other ministers behind closed doors (where is the democracy in that?) but refused to bring up the issue of closure of East Devon community hospitals with Jeremy Hunt.
In the last minutes of the programme this morning.
Now available on iPlayer Here is the brief interview – at 02.55.32 – on this morning’s Today programme:
East Devon Watch 
I have actually located and read the ministerial code, and Hugo Swire’s claim (or excuse) that he is prevented from speaking in parliament on constituency issues is just not true.
So long as he makes it clear that he is speaking as a constituency MP and not a minister – and so long as it is not speaking against a specific government policy – then he is free to speak on local issues.
So really Hugo has made a conscious choice not to act as a constituency MP, rather than being constrained by the ministerial code.
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