The Conservative MP for Tewkesbury, Laurence Robertson, is not pleased that workers are mounting a defence against the attacks on their pensions. On the day of the strike he called during Prime Minister’s Questions for taxpayer funding of trade unions to be reviewed.

In contrast to the poverty he wishes on the rest of us, Laurence Robertson feels very differently about his own financial future.

In a leaked email at the time of the MPs expenses scandal Laurence Robertson revealed that “I certainly do not intend to become personally poorer at this stage of my career”.

Laurence Robertson has claimed more than £1 million in expenses since 2001, and has previously criticised plans to overhaul the system of claims for MPs.

Here`s an email he received from a Cheltenham Against Cuts supporter:

Dear Laurence,

I have just read the above titled press release on your website.

http://www.laurencerobertsonmp.com/page13.html

You make reference to 113 million pounds of tax payers money being spent on Trade Union facilities time. I believe that your argument is both flawed and driven by the usual Tory Mantra that Unions are bad and the free market is good. Particularly seeing as there is lots of evidence to the contrary.  As per the links below. Even the Department of Trade and Industry recognise the valuable contribution that Union Reps make and they are hardly a left leaning think tank!

http://webarchive.nationalarchives.gov.uk/+/http://www.berr.gov.uk/files/file36336.pdf

http://www.tuc.org.uk/extras/repsinaction.pdf

http://www.acas.org.uk/CHttpHandler.ashx?id=274

Initially I was going to provide you with a summary of each document, but decided against it, on the basis that as a public Servant funded by the tax payer you probably need to work a little bit harder and as such can read them yourself. In much the same way that Teachers and fire fighters and all other public servants are expected to work harder.

Alternatively, you could get your wife who works in your constituency office to read it for you, with her salary that is funded by the tax payer.

In your article Thugs Feed off Chaos, This is Gloucestershire, 11/11/2011, you attempt to provide an explanation regarding Norman Tebbitt’s “Get on your bike and look for work” speech. That theory is bit flawed given that we are now in the biggest recession since the 1930’s and 1 out of 5 young people now face a future on the dole. I’m guessing that Susan Robertson cycled long and hard to find her job?

http://www.thisisgloucestershire.co.uk/Thugs-feed-chaos-created/story-13109821-detail/story.html

Your naivety and political bias appear to be driven by a hatred of Trade Unions. This is demonstrated even further with your more recent article in which you make reference to the Labour Party being funded by Trade Unions, and I fail to see what your point is? Historically this link was made to provide a party that reflected the interest of the working class.  Not that this link provides much value at the moment and the only real difference between Ed Miliband and David Cameron, is that they wear different colour ties!

As I am sure you are aware, the Tories have always historically been funded by the ruling class. Originally this would have been mill and factory owners and replaced in recent times by venture capitalists such as Adrian Beecroft. The fact that David Cameron has now launched an unprecedented attack on workers rights following Mr Beecroft`s most recent donation, demonstrates exactly whose side the Tories are on and it’s not the millions of tax payers who pay their wages. Yet you proclaim that Trade Union Facilities Time is a waste of tax payers money.

Instead of focusing your attention on an ideological attack on the Labour Movement, perhaps you should focus your attention on pursuing the alternatives to austerity measures which would lead to a fairer society such as making the banks repay the 1.3 Trillion pounds they owe and reclaiming the 120 billion pounds tax that has been avoided and evaded by the super rich.

Not that I think for one second that you actually will.

Digressing to a different subject, I noticed that David Cameron believes that Jeremy Clarkson’s most recent outburst is excusable because he was only joking. Therefore please could you pass the following ‘funny’ on to Mr Cameron.

‘Margaret Thatcher – It’s a shame the IRA didn’t succeed!’

I assume that this sort of humour is permissable?

Finally I would like to add that the Tories must be really proud of themselves, given that they are taking a chainsaw to everything that was awarded to my Grandfather’s generation who fought facism on the beaches of Normandy and in Deserts of North Africa and upon return were rewarded with a fairer society!

Regards

Lewis Tunbridge