Let me confess straight away, I'm not a fan of Ann Keen and I've never voted for her.
However I'm not a fanatical opponent or anti-Labour zealot either, I simply see her as a fairly unremarkable, run-of-the-mill politician.
She does good things, she does bad things - fair enough, but she's hardly the outstanding stateswoman being portrayed by certain regular contributors to this letters page.
In my opinion, these people are doing her more harm than good, particularly when they refer to her as a 'principled politician' (Letters, Chronicle, January 15).
Indeed it was this claim alone which has prompted this response from a usually indifferent observer.
There was nothing 'principled' about the way in which Mrs Keen and her husband exploited the Parliamentary expenses system.
Granted they broke no rules, but BOTH of them claiming huge allowances to furnish their shared home because of an over-generous system lacking any real scrutiny permitted, it was not the action of a principled politician.
All Labour MPs in and around the capital are now going to be facing a big enough backlash over the third runway charade, so they really don't need more antagonism being generated by misguided charm offensives.
Do your hero a favour: keep it real or keep it to yourselves!
CHRIS BLACK Brentford, via email.
