Nickie Aiken MP

• I HAD thought that the essential task of a Member of Parliament was to represent and support his or her constituents.

Please know that I have now written to Nickie Aiken MP on four occasions since she was elected about legitimate, pressing issues. To no avail. Apart from the automatic response generated from her office, she has failed to respond.

Our local GP practice was in danger of closing earlier this year. This was clearly a matter of keen concern to her constituents. I wrote to her twice, asking for her to intervene, as did other patients at the surgery in question.

They too failed to receive a response. Thankfully the Extra took up cudgels on our behalf and the surgery was protected from closure.

Having signed a petition about helicopter noise in Westminster, I recently received a lengthy letter from Ms Aiken about her efforts to mitigate the intrusion.

Helicopter noise is certainly something to be grappled with, but I would suggest that the closure of a valued National Health Service primary care facility carries far more significance than the former. Ms Aiken would appear to think otherwise.

MPs are not obliged to reply to their constituents, but when something as important as losing one’s surgery and doctors is at stake, you would think – hope – that our elected representative would respond immediately to constituents’ concerns.

I see absolutely no point in contacting Ms Aiken on any future occasion given her disregard for residents’ correspondence. This leaves me (and fellow constituents who have also had no response) disenfranchised to a regrettable degree.

JENNIFER SHERIDAN
Address supplied