I wrote this email to Conservative David TC Davies, who has recently become my local MP. Given the party he represents and his previous record I am somewhat sceptical about his likelihood of impressing me on this - but maybe he'll surprise me, stranger things have happened!
Dear David TC Davies MP,
My name is George Harold Millman. I'm an actor, scriptwriter and political activist.
Firstly, I'd like to say hello to you. I've only recently moved into your constituency and I'm delighted to make your acquaintance - we haven't met, but I believe you know my partner Owen, who is a prominent disability rights campaigner in the Abergavenny area. I have no doubt I'll be writing to you often about various political matters that I'm concerned about (just to keep things transparent, I also generally publish letters to my MP and their responses on my blog, The Rebel Without A Clause).
This first letter I'm writing to you is in relation to the debate that the Labour MP Apsana Begum has secured for this coming Thursday, 8th February, concerning humanitarian aid and children in Gaza. I wanted to ask if you're planning to attend? I sincerely hope that you are.
This year marks ten years that I've been actively involved in the campaign for the freedom of Palestinians. It's a matter that is very close to my heart, and I've been dismayed to see how the situation seems to have become actively worse since 2014, which is when I first realised the extent of it. I am additionally horrified by how much Western powers have turned a blind eye to the scale of the situation for Palestinians since October, and how this has manifested itself in ways such as withholding funding for UNWRA, the UN agency charged with making life a bit more bearable for civilians in the region.
I'll be truthful in that I haven't been at all impressed with your party's actions in relation to this subject - however, I know from experience that my opinions of a party as a whole are not necessarily the same as my opinions of individual MPs (I have been just as disappointed by Labour on this as I have with the Conservatives, and yet this naturally doesn't extend to Apsana Begum, who seems to be really going above and beyond to help). I really hope that I'll be able to see the same from you.
Best wishes,
George Harold Millman
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