Spencer Drury is the Conservative candidate for Greenwich & Woolwich. Here’s his answers to some of your questions.
What do you think qualifies you to be MP for Greenwich and Woolwich?
The only qualification one needs to be MP for Greenwich and Woolwich is more votes than the other candidates. However, I hope that I can bring a different perspective to the role of MP through my involvement in the local community and knowledge of the different issues around south-east London.
I’d like to know what the candidates would do about the Blackwall Tunnel closure, and what their views are on two-way traffic through one 1/2 of the tunnel.
As I have said before I am disappointed that the contra-flow system has not been reinstated, but I understand this is because of a change in EU regulations. This puts a different perspective on the situation as Conservative policy is to bring a range of powers back into this country from a European level and clearly we should be able to make our own decisions about using a system which had not caused any accidents as far as I could see.
Would you like to comment on Greenwich Councils announcement that it is to snoop on its own staff?
Ironically it was a local resident who passed the letter which has been put in the public domain to me and I sent it on to Dizzy (Phil Hendren) who is a friend of mine and used to live in Plumstead.
I think that the principle of the state creating bigger and bigger databases is one which scares me. It seems the relationship between the state and the individual has changed, with all the power in the hands of the government which can compare our data as an when it wishes. The relationship between the individual and the state has to be rebalanced so that the individual has more power. This is one of the reasons why I oppose the Labour policy of introducing ID cards.
What was the last book you read?
The last book I read was The Return of Sherlock Holmes and I am currently picking my way through Suggs and the City which I find very relaxing when my days are filled with electioneering.
Greenwich Hospital is appealing the decision to reject their redevelopment of Greenwich Market – do you support redevelopment of the market?
I think Greenwich Market needs refurbishment not redevelopment. This means smartening up what is already there (and is much loved by local residents and visitors) rather than demolishing chunks of it, putting up wood cladding on buildings and ripping up the cobbles. So no, I do not support the redevelopment plans that were bought forward, but I do think that the roof of the market needs replacing.
Would it be democratically acceptable for a Bristol based quango to force upon Greenwich a market redevelopment that is unwanted by the people or their elected representatives in the Council?
Linked to the previous answer, no. This is equally true for other planning applications which are overturned in Bristol having been rejected in Greenwich.