Starting to lose patience with my MP

[kibbster]

Can you tell?

This is about to get sent to him (3rd letter!)

Hello Mr Lopresti,

I have written to you on a couple of occasions and am a little alarmed that I haven't received any sort of acknowledgment or reply from you so far.

If you have replied and I missed it then I apologise but I have been checking my spam folder each week in case any reply was blocked.

I'd like to talk to you about the effects the EU proposed tobacco directive would have on my life and that of my family if these measures are allowed to be implemented as they are proposed, exclusively in relation to electronic cigarettes or ecigs.

  

After being a smoker for 27 years I have now been smoke free for three months, and I still have no intention of going back to tobacco for as long as I can use my ecigs.

I hate to say it but if these directives go through I will have no choice but to turn back to a pack a day smoker as I have no intention of giving up nicotine at this point in time. 

I feel it's a sad world when a safe alternative to one of the worlds biggest killers is in danger of being regulated to the point of uselessness.

For me this directive could be a matter of life or death, sorry for the drama but in my case it's true.

If the EU allows tobacco to still be readily available and the only way to obtain nicotine in a satisfactory method then that's the only direction I will be able or willing to take.

I can only see this directive including ecigs as absolute madness of the highest order and it just doesn't make any sense to me at all.

I've watched the EU broadcasts and tried to keep up to date with the news on this directive and I have seen lies, half truths and selective use of statistics to promote what looks like a zealous crusade against a safer alternative to tobacco. 

I absolutely have fight this and writing to you is the only way I can to preserve my way of life and my right to live it as I choose not someone in the EU (or UK government - I'm not anti EU in general) telling me how I should live my life when I'm not doing anyone any harm, I'm not going to be putting a strain on our already beleaguered NHS straining under the weight of tobacco, obesity and alcohol related illnesses  - it does make me wonder what the health minister in the EU actually has against me.

Last time I checked I'm a fairly benign member of the EU as well as the UK who pays my taxes and lives within the law yet I have to hear that someone wants to try and force me back to Tobacco which according to the same health ministers in the EU is akin to be handed a death certificate early.

I would like you to represent myself, my family and families and friends of other ecig users in your constituency to stand up for what I believe is right - that people should have the right to choose their own lifestyles without persecution or prejudice from the state and use nicotine recreationally especially if they are doing it in a way that doesn't harm themselves or others.

I would also like to come and visit you at your surgery to talk to you face to face so you can explain your viewpoint and plans to me over this directive without any boilerplate letters or "party" political line.

I have attached a document written by ECITA (the Electronic Cigarette Industry Trade Association) that explains ecigs and why a lot of smokers are turning to them.

Please respond with an appointment for me to meet yo at your surgery at the earliest opportunity because I fear the EU is trying to push things through and time is becoming a commodity ecig users are running out of (much like smokers who will find their ranks swelling if this directive becomes law) 

Thank you very much for your time.

Eric Manktelow


Yes, I am annoyed with him and I'm also worried that the EU is going to push this through before giving the troops time to rally a defence.
So no more pussy footing around, I'm bringing in the big guns and I'm going to force him to see me and I WILL get my views across and have him acknowledge me!
If being polite and nice and patient doesn't work I'll force my hand by going above his head to his boss and the press in order to let them know what I think about the work my democratically elected member of parliament is doing (or not doing as the case may be.)

[Banky]

Nice one kibbster,
Very well written personal, and straight to the point. It deserves a reply hope he sits up and takes notice.

[kibbster]

Thank you it's sent now.
NOW I feel like I've done something even though I've already written to him twice and and all my MEPs.
This letter is a lot more of what I wanted to say, I just want him to tell me to my face if he's going to support me or he can justify to my face why he wants me to go back to tobacco if he supports the EU directive.

I also want to grab all the haters in the EU by the scruff of their necks and shake some sense into them but not sure how that would go down lol

[Deleted]

If you don't mind I may well blatently steal this email for my own use, changing the name of course lol.

[kibbster]

Mar 2, 2013 16:05:28 GMT @mp2012 said:

If you don't mind I may well blatently steal this email for my own use, changing the name of course lol.

Of course no problem at all

I think it's taken this long for me to get angry enough to actually put some passion in it rather than the rather "Would you kindly" (Bioshock reference there for nerds ) mail I sent out first.
Much more cathartic I must say

[davess]

Mar 2, 2013 16:05:28 GMT @mp2012 said:

If you don't mind I may well blatently steal this email for my own use, changing the name of course lol.

Ditto.

[Greigster]

Great letter Kibster and thanks for the permission for others to use it.
Not everyone is as articulate as you, myself included, so I will be using your letter to send to my MP after one or two redactions and alterations to make it more personal to me.
Thanks Mate

[Deleted]

spamming mep's in scotland may well commence pronto

Thanks

[kibbster]

If it helps people get the word out to their MPs then please go for it!

I've got to say, sending a letter out to my MP give me a warm fuzzy feeling that at least I did something.
Everytime I watch VTTV I start frothing at the mouth again and wondering what else I can do lol

[Deleted]

Just spammed

Happy Monday Scottish MEP's ...

One nice PDF there in all your inboxes

[MarkS]

Very nice and personal email kibbster. Good on you for taking the time and effort to write it.
Hope the b#stards take as much time and effort to reply to you this time.

A word of caution to those who want to copy it though. You may just end up turning kibbster's efforts into a SPAM mail.

[davess]

Right. Emailed all my MEPs with your slighly amended letter Kibbster. Thanks.

[johnny10hands]

Very well put sir!

Has anyone thought of creating a government e-petition? 

epetitions.direct.gov.uk/

To get the EU to BUTT OUT!

[johnny10hands]

Actually I see someone has already started one!

I'm going to sign now.

epetitions.direct.gov.uk/petitions/45197

S P R E A D T H E W O R D

[MarkS]

This one already has 19,000 signatures
www.petitiononline.com/fr33dom/petition.html