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Dan Norris's election
campaign launched by architect of Sarah's Law - as national media throw
spotlight on his Conservative opponent in this ultra-marginal Labour/Tory
two-horse race
 The
architect of the child protection Sarah's Law, former Home Secretary John
Reid, launched Dan Norris's North East Somerset election campaign along
with scores of Dan's supporters, volunteers and well-wishers on Sunday
11 April.
Former NSPCC trained child protection officer Dan campaigned for the safety
measures, which will allow parents to apply to the police to find out
if someone with unsupervised access to their child is on the sex offenders'
register.
Sarah's Law' is now
set to be rolled out across the country following successful trials. But
whilst it was amongst the talking points at the Keynsham meeting, so was
an
article that had appeared in the same day's Sunday Times newspaper
- suggesting Dan's Tory opponent in the close two-horse Labour-Tory contest,
Jacob Rees-Mogg, is actually being hidden from voters because of the huge
embarrassment he causes.
John Reid said: "In Dan Norris you have a great local candidate,
a tremendously hard-working truly local man. I know what an excellent
MP he has proved over the years and the people of North East Somerset
would do well to take a moment to think what the alternative - his Tory
opponent - would mean for the area.
"When I was Home Secretary lots of people were talking about introducing
a UK version of the USA's Megan's Law to give information to parents about
known sex offenders living in their area. There were many people who were
saying to me it sounded like an interesting idea, but that it was too
controversial so we should back off.
"Dan showed outstanding courage on this very delicate issue. He was
there pressing
me to get on with introducing it, explaining why it was the right
thing to do. We trialled it, and it has been a huge success so it
will now be rolled out across the country. Not only was he courageous
in his lobbying for these better child safety measures, he was right too.
Mr Reid had brought with him a copy of the day's Sunday Times,
which featured a lengthy
article about a woman journalist's unsuccessful search to locate Mr Rees-Mogg
when spending a couple of days in the constituency. The article, entitled
Maybe he's canvassing in the King of Spain's private loo described
how, despite repeated requests, she was denied access to the candidate
as he was apparently being hidden from voters on orders from Tory Central
Office. The article describes Mr
Rees-Mogg as 'David Cameron's worst nightmare.'
Mr Reid said: "My advice to you is, if you see the elusive Mr
Jacob Rees-Mogg, please give the Sunday Times a call. They'd like
to hear from you. I think London-based
banker Mr Rees-Mogg will now forever be known as 'The Man Who Never
Was'.
"There are Tory posters out there that say 'Vote for change' I'd
ask North East Somerset people this: 'Change Dan
Norris for Jacob
Rees-Mogg? Why would anyone in their right mind do that?'"
Mr Reid added: "Another example of Dan's terrific work is the way
he campaigned hard for illness compensation for former miners in this
area on whose hard work the area's prosperity was built - over £4
million paid out to date.
"In fact, it's really good to see the Norris family and the Rees-Mogg
family are renewing their decades-old partnership. The terms of the partnership
were as follows: Dan's Grandfather used to work long hours in the North
East Somerset mines digging out coal in dreadful conditions. The Rees-Moggs
then sold it at great profit for themselves."
The Sunday Times article referred to above can also be found online
here
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Promoted by Pat Nicol
on behalf of Dan Norris both at 50 Beaufort Avenue, Midsomer Norton, BA3
2TG. Reproduced from an electronic communication sent by 1&1 Internet
Limited, 10-14 Bath Road, Slough, SL1 3SA.
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