Last night I had a twitter debate with a Conservative Councillor for Hastings who was using the social media platform to drum up more support for his colleagues in the Euro Elections. I want to give full credit to Peter Pragnell for his willingness to engage with me. Sadly far too many politicians use twitter to broadcast their views and will not engage with people on it in a conversational manner. This seems bizarre as the whole point of twitter is to hold debates, albeit ones that can be carried out using 140 character size arguments. In the end Peter asked if we could agree to disagree and although I did not feel we should, he has every right to withdraw from the discussion. I should stress that his original posting was not something he has written, it was an item generated by the Conservative Central Office, and many other Conservative party members have used it including several of the Sussex MPs. However because I get on well with Peter I felt certain he would respond to my despair at its use.

The posting relates to the Euro Elections and claims that David Cameron is the only Party Leader willing to offer a referendum on Europe and therefore we should vote Conservative on Thursday in order to maximise the number of Conservative MEPs. Putting aside my own view that there are far too many things on which I would like a direct say, before I would choose to express my views about Europe in this way, I challenged Peters use of this poster. The problem I have is that even if the Conservatives won all 73 seats in the election, or indeed if no Conservatives were elected the likelihood of a referendum is not changed. The prospect of a referendum is based on 2 criteria which have no connection to the European Elections. The first is that the Conservatives win the next General Election with sufficient majority to govern. The second is that David Cameron remains as PM and does as he has promised. Whilst Peter would not want to debate the second point, it is not to be assumed by the rest of us, but in any event this weeks election does not really have any impact on either of those.

Peters view is that elections are linked, that a strong showing on Thursday for the Conservatives will strengthen David Camerons hand etc, and of course in the margins that is true. However I believe it is either dishonest or offensive (because it assumes we are easily fooled) to fight one election on an issue that is at stake at another. Peter disagrees, and to be fair this distraction technique is not at all unique to the Conservatives. I know I am not alone in finding this frustrating, but unlike Peter or indeed David Cameron I cannot pretend I have heard people saying otherwise on the doorstep, nor that I have read the findings of a focus group. Suffice it to say, if I vote for a Councillor, or an MEP it will be based on what they promise to do at the level where they hope to serve. The same will be true at a General Election. I may well vote for people in different parties at all three levels. If that doesn’t strengthen the parties concerned at the margins, then so be it. It is so stupid to think otherwise. If when I stood as a Police Commissioner candidate I had promised to reduce business rates, Peter and chums would have been high on the list of those challenging my promise. However even Peter wanted to agree to disagree when it is plain that Thursdays vote will not hasten or impede the prospect of a referendum on anything!