Blizzard snowed under by Gibson affection
By Alex Stevenson
MP Bob Blizzard has struggled to avoid the independent spirit of Ian Gibson during his work for the Norwich North by-election campaign.
The Waveney MP has been a government whip for the last two years, meaning his job has been to persuade Dr Gibson to vote with the government.
He admitted as much during a hustings event on the eve of today’s vote in central Norwich.
“I had my successes occasionally,” he said, to audience laughter, before pressing that Labour’s preferred replacement Chris Ostrowski – absent because of suspected swine flu – would prove as much of a headache.
“I think he’ll be equally independent and if you elect him. he’ll be a handful for me as well,” Mr Blizzard added.
Interview with Bob Blizzard in full:
Earlier he admitted to politics.co.uk how crucial attitudes to Dr Gibson had been to the campaign.
“There’s still a lot of people who are angry at politics in general because of the expenses situation,” he said.
“Yet at the same time even though the by-election was caused by issues relating to Ian Gibson’s expenses, there is huge regard for Ian. People thought he was an excellent MP for Norwich North, hard-working, the kind of man who fought for his constituents.
“People are now seeing actually the real choice is to continue Ian’s work by electing a new New Labour MP and they know Ian does want Labour to win this seat, or whether they let it go Tory.”
Many on the ground in Norwich North fear popular anger over the way Dr Gibson was treated could result in the Conservatives’ challenger, Chloe Smith, winning today’s poll. Dr Gibson resigned his seat after being told by Labour’s ‘star chamber’ his unacceptable expenses meant he would not have the party’s backing at the next general election.
Mr Blizzard sought to play up the risk that Norwich North, which was Conservative before Dr Gibson won the seat for Labour in 1997, could return to Tory hands.
“The longer the campaign has gone on we can see the choice facing the people of Norwich is to retain Norwich North as a Lab seat or see it go Tory,” he pressed.
“When we put that message to people we find our support firms up and we’re very hopeful as we go into the last day.”
