ON certain occasions in the past I have sought advice from my local MP and have received prompt responses and courteous assistance from Jackie Ballard (Lib Dem), Adrian Flook (Conservative) and Jeremy Browne (Lib Dem).
More recently, I contacted our current MP, Rebecca Pow, by email requesting advice and, if possible, assistance with a particular issue. A week passed with no response and so I telephoned her Westminster office.
The office assistant I spoke to told me initially that ‘We get lots of emails’ but then found my email and said I would have to send a further email with details of my address to confirm I was one of Ms Pow’s constituents.
I did this immediately after the call.
A further week passed, again with no response whatsoever (not even an automatic confirmation of email receipt), so I telephoned Ms Pow’s Westminster office again.
This time the call was answered by a recording stating that Ms Pow was currently unavailable but requesting a message be left and that someone would respond within a few days.
I left a message referring to my original email and also left my telephone number as an additional means of contact.
A further week has passed, again with no response whatsoever, and it is now four weeks since my original email request.
I note that Ms Pow’s website states email communications can often resolve issues without requiring personal interviews. Obviously not in this case!
Unfortunately, I also found a website that listed Ms Pow at the lowly level of 169 in terms of responsiveness of MPs, suggesting I am not the only constituent Ms Pow and/or her office fail to acknowledge, indicating a low level of concern for and representation of her constituents.
Perhaps there is a genuine reason for this, possibly a failure in communications and procedures between Ms Pow and her office?
If so, then it needs to be addressed as a matter of urgency and service to her constituents.
CHRISTOPHER TREBBLE
Norton Fitzwarren
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