Letter To The Guardian
In Defence Of Piers Merchant

 

The letter below was e-mailed to four national newspapers as dated; it was published in the Guardian, page 20, on October 17, 1997. The actual text is reproduced here verbatim complete with one very minor textual error (as far as I can ascertain!).

The same letter, edited more severely, was published in the London Evening Standard, CITY PRICES, October 20, 1997, page 65, where it appeared with several others under the heading BRIEFLY.

A PDF of the letter as actually published in the Guardian is linked below.


                                                93c Venner Road,
                                                       Sydenham,
                                                London SE26 5HU.
                                                   0181 659 7713
                               E-Mail A_Baron@ABaron.Demon.Co.UK


October 15, 1997

Sir,

The latest "revelations" about the Conservative MP Piers Merchant 
are no doubt causing hysterical laughter the length and breadth 
of "Fleet Street". I would though - as a non-Conservative - like 
to say something in defence of Mr Merchant. From November 1st 
last year until May 1st this year I spent six months in Brixton 
Prison after a police frame-up. During that time the powers-that-
be did everything in their power to destroy me. Among other 
things, the housing benefit office refused to pay my rent. Piers 
Merchant went to considerable lengths to have this restored and 
finally had it not only restored but backdated. If it hadn't been 
for my saintly MP I would have been left homeless and stranded in 
spite of my acquittal.

When an earlier attempt was made to dislodge Mr Merchant, he 
received a massive vote of confidence from well over 90% of this 
constituency party. Obviously they were just as satisfied as 
myself with Mr Merchant's performance as an MP and realised that 
it is on how well a Member of Parliament serves his constituents 
that he should be judged, not on how he allegedly conducts his 
personal life.

Yours sincerely,
A Baron

Click here for the letter as published in the Guardian
Click here for an obituary of Piers Merchant

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