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SIR - I would appreciate the opportunity to put the
record straight following letters from Messrs Silk and Grant last
week (March 19) accusing me of hypocrisy and humbug.
First let me correct Mr Silk by pointing out that
he repeats a wholly incorrect interpretation of my words. At no
time have I threatened the local borough-wide independent community
websites with "immediate closure" (or any other sort of
closure). I am happy to place on record my support for our community
websites, praise their role and state my appreciation for their
contribution of newsworthy items to the life of the borough. I have
willingly contributed items of local interest in the past (one of
the few councillors to do so) and have been solicited for such by
the team who run the websites.
Insofar as Mr Grant's misrepresentation that I believe
Roman Catholics, Evangelical Christians "and other decent folk
should not be councillors in case they express opinions", it
is of course a complete nonsense. What I described as "crass"
by Cllr Dance - one of the few Tory councillors with whom I talk
regularly - was her use of her councillor's email pathway. (A mistake,
incidentally, that I also made recently and for which I apologise.)
Although I did not agree with Hilary's views, I nonetheless
believe she has a right to express them as a private citizen. For
the record, Mr Grant may like to note that I was brought up as an
Evangelical Christian.
In fact, I was confirmed at that pinnacle of Evangelical
Anglicanism, All Souls Langham Place by the late Bishop Reindorp,
father of Richmond's much-respected Rev Julian Reindorp.
I still visit All Souls as often as possible. He might
also like to note that my late paternal grandparents were Roman
Catholic.
Marc Cranfield-Adams Sheen Court, Richmond
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