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This is a press release that I am sending out to the local media: - for immediate release: 21 December, 1998 - Ex-Labour party members submit petition to Anne Campbell For months before the 1997 general election Stuart and Ann Hemsley could be found at Alex Wood Hall telephone canvassing on behalf of Anne Campbell. As the election drew closer they worked in the office, canvassed on the streets and did what needed to be done to re-elect Anne Campbell as Cambridge MP. After the election Ann Hemsley ran Ms Campbell East Chesterton surgery, providing what many visiting constituents felt to be a competent and caring atmosphere. Both have since resigned from the Labour party. Today Stuart and Ann Hemsley met Ms Campbell again, this time to present a petition against the government's bombing of Iraq. Signatures were collected from the congregation at the Hemsley's church, neighbours and people at the vigils outside the Guildhall. Its wording ran: Dear Anne, As you enjoy Christmas with your grandchildren will you spare a thought for the children of Iraq who have been maimed and murdered (sorry - "degraded") as a result of your Government's bombing of Iraq? May we also invite you to consider how you would feel if your grandchildren were being maimed and murdered as a result of your pursuing a vendetta against one man? Before receiving the petition Ms Campbell ejected the Cambridge Evening News photographer from the room. She then began to explain government policy from a package prepared by Robin Cook. When asked why, if Iraq had such terrible weapons as "pilotless anthrax planes", Hussein hadn't used them to retaliate against the American and British forces Ms Campbell admitted that, "he hasn't got the means to deliver these things". According to a Unicef report earlier this year some 5,000 to 6,000 children have been dying monthly in Iraq due to the sanctions. Ms Campbell, echoing Robin Cook, blamed this on Hussein, whom she accused of trying to import liposuction machines rather than food. Mr Hemsley then asked whether Ms Campbell believed that Denis Halliday, former head of the UN food-for-oil programme in Baghdad, was a liar. Mr Halliday had resigned in September, claiming that the sanctions were "morally bankrupt" and should be lifted. Even Scott Ritter, chief UN weapons inspector until his resignation, also believes that the sanctions should be lifted. A British official in charge of inspecting imports has resigned on similar grounds. Under the current sanctions regime the Iraqi government can make no purchases without the consent of the UN Sanctions Committee. In response to questioning about the testimony of these experts Ms Campbell was silent and the meeting ended. - end - For more information contact Stuart Hemsley at 01223 315 585. The Hemsleys are retired school teachers. Stuart is the chair of governors at Shirley Infant School. Ann was active at the local and county level in King's Lynn, where they lived before moving to Cambridge two years ago, and vice-chair of the North West Norfolk Constituency Labour Party. Denis Halliday will be in Cambridge in January. For more information contact Seb Wills on saw27@cam.ac.uk or 01643 851 266 (out of term) 01223 507 858. Colin Rowat King's College Cambridge CB2 1ST tel: +44 (0)468 056 984 England fax: +44 (0)1223 335 219 -- ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- This is a discussion list run by Campaign Against Sanctions on Iraq. To be removed/added, email soc-casi-discuss-request@lists.cam.ac.uk, NOT the whole list. Archived at http://linux.clare.cam.ac.uk/~saw27/casi/discuss.html