REFERENCE your comment on the letters page of SNJ dated May 13.

You mention it was shock that Neil Carmichael was re-elected as our MP with David Drew as 11/4 odds on favourite to regain seat for Labour.

However, I refer you to my letter dated January 28 of this year, where I confidently forecast Mr Carmichael as favourite to retain seat.

I based my accurate assessment on the fact that Mr Carmichael had not dropped any howlers while MP, but also more importantly that the Conservatives polled more votes than any other political party in last year’s EU Election.

Lord Ashcroft’s rogue poll of voting intents in Stroud, taken only a short time after the EU election, failed to recognise that Stroud is predominantly a Conservative seat that Labour have only gained when they have won a general election by a landslide victory.

Lord Ashcroft’s poll completely wrong-footed the bookies who offered those odds.

Mr Drew has been the Labour parliamentary candidate since 1992, winning three of six elections. He was Stroud’s MP during the Blair years and very highly thought of by my most of his constituents, including many members of other parties.

I wish him well for the future in his retirement, away from frontline politics.

Tom Newman

Stroud