Jane Kennedy, MP

Jane Kennedy MP has received a number of phone calls, emails and letters of support following her departure from the Government. Below we reproduce a selection of those received.

Dear Jane,
Not sure how your change of occupation is going down within the walls of Westminster but as one who would have voted you out of power at some stage in the future can I just say what a pleasure it was to have had some time in your company and to let you know you will thoroughly missed by us piggy people.
I am very much on the outside of the Defra activity now that my NPA days are over but I did think you were a huge asset to both Government and the industry which should be what it is all about.
.... I wish you all the best from both my wife and myself – I hope you are walking tall today

 Dear Jane
I was sorry to learn yesterday that you have decided to relinquish your ministerial post. Whilst our association was only brief, it was a very timely and positive experience with the creation of the Food and Environment Research Agency, and the good news for tackling phytophthora
and protecting bees. To be supported by a minister who took such an obvious interest and delight in the range and relevance of the work of the agency was wonderful for us, especially in these formative months.
Whatever you choose to do next I wish you all the very best. I hope you will look back on these times with good memories.

Hi, Jane -
Here is a blast from the past - those long ago days when we used to lunch together in the Echo dining room and talk about your battle against Militant Tendency in Liverpool! There was a  marvelous clip of you in action on the TV news last night - giving the payout to Tony Mulhearn, Derek Hatton and Co, with Neil Kinnock cheering you on from the platform. You should get a copy for your archives.
It seems to be not much different now! You were always game for a fight if the cause was just - and I think you are right on this one. Best wishes.

Dear Ms Kennedy
May I just thank you for your months at Defra.
As the chairman of one of your delivery bodies, I'd just like to tell you that we did appreciate your interest and grasp of issues.I think I can speak for many in the industry when I say, we are sad to see you leave. My best wishes for your future

I have been following recent events with growing concern for the future of our country and a degee of incredulity at the greed and lack of personal integrity of so many of our MPs.
I have felt for many months that Gordon Brown made an excellent 2nd. in command but lacks the necessary attributes to be the Leader of our Government.
When I watched Jane's interview this am, I thanked God she spoke with honesty and integrity. It made a pleasant change .
Over the weekend , so many interviews have been according to the party line (re. Lord Mandelson) or with personal agendas .
I wish Jane every good wish for her political future and offer her my support.  

Dear Ms Kennedy,
...So many of the issues  that are currently running in parliament and the outcomes were predictable, yet we now are in the position of being thrashed by the other political parties. I know solutions to the parliamentary expenses issues don't come easy but solutions in 6 or 12 months time are for me simply not good enough.
Throughout the debacle, what I wanted but didn't get, was leadership on the issues.... I admire you having the courage of your convictions, loyalty is earned not expected

I am not a constituent, but I wanted to express my support for Jane Kennedy. Her decision is the correct one, and it demonstrates her courage and integrity.
I was also very impressed with her comments about the PMs methods not being the way that politics should be conducted - it is absolutely correct that the cynical approach of number 10 contributes greatly to the devaluation of the political process.
Anyway - I hope people will listen to Ms Kennedy.

Dear Rt Hon Jane Kennedy,
I do not agree with all your beliefs but I regret you have left the government. As a farmer I only became "aware" of you when you were at Defra where you seemed to be reasonable and sensible and used common sense, a gift sadly lacking in society nowadays. I wish you good luck in the future.
 
I wish to send a short message of support for Ms Kennedy and her decision to resign from the government. It is deeply disappointing that there is a culture of smearing and bullying emanating from No 10, which must have developed with the tacit approval of the PM. Coming from the man who proclaims frequently to be the "son of the manse" with a strong "moral compass" it is particularly distasteful.

Dear Rt Hon Jane Kennedy,
I watched your interview with Paxman last night with interest and admiration.I was interested to hear such a detailed explanation of Brown's tactics and weaknesses and admired the calm and measured way in which you exposed the problem.
As a Labour voter of 47 years standing I had given up on the party and was feeling there were no politicians of principle left...your measured arguments and integrity give me hope.

You must be receiving lots of encouragement from your constituents and friends - and won't need any extra from an aged stranger across the ocean who doesn't have a vote in Britain.   But seeing you on the BBC, such a transparently honest contrast to the multitude of slick career spin merchants "in public service", prompts me to intrude with my uninvited encouragement and good wishes...you can never allow yourself to be disheartened from fighting the good fight and I hope the future will bring you (and your many colleagues imbued with the spirit of Old Labour) much fulfilment as you deserve, despite the alarming disappointments of today and recent years.
 

I deeply regret that you have resigned your farming job. You were a breath of fresh air. I have watched ministers come and go but for the first time felt I had a minister that really cared about farmers and listened to what they had to say. I think you should be Prime Minister and would vote for you any day of the week!

Dear Jane,
I always enjoyed working with you because you were principled, open, fair, and professional.  I have always felt you were one of the most genuine people I have had the privilege of meeting.
Today you displayed all of those qualities along with selflessness and bravery.  There are many more who know what you said was true but don't have the internal strength of character to act on their beliefs. I have always been proud to tell people I had the privilege to work with you for several years, but never more than I was today.

I am extremely sorry to learn that you have resigned from your position as Agricultural Minister.  I was at the NFU AGM back at the end of February when I listened to you speaking for the first time, and I have to say that I thought that you were a breath of fresh air with the
combination of your intellect, sense of humour and perhaps above all in the humble yet energetic way that you were approaching your new job.
Regardless of the colour of the Governing party, I would happily choose you to be involved in (and preferably leading!) DEFRA both now and into the future.
 
Clearly the last few weeks have been hugely problematic for almost all MP's - some deservedly so - and after the resignations from Government in the last week, I would perhaps prefer to believe Nick Robinson's assessment of the political situation facing the country rather than
that of Peter Mandelson or our dear Prime Minister!  However, although I have not had time to learn the official or unofficial reasons for your resignation, I am confident that your actions will have been led by your obvious integrity, and we all need to be grateful for that.
 Sadly I believe that the farming industry will be the immediate loser, but I will be one of many who will no doubt follow the political path of the Government over the coming days and weeks with both concern and interest.  I hope that it will not be long before you can continue where
you have left off in helping our wonderful farming industry.

Dear Rt Hon Jane Kennedy,
Saw you on TV last night -you were looking really well and spoke well. Sorry about your departure - I know from May that you really loved the job. Good luck in the future and well done for sticking to your principles. Take care

Dear Ms Kennedy,
I believe the prime minister has misjudged the mood of the country in a massive way. His misjudgment  is going to come back to haunt the party as a whole and send it into political oblivion. There are, as I'm  sure you are aware, large swathes of the country that want a new leader, whatever the rights or wrongs of that, if Mr Brown ignores this and clearly he is saying the electorate's opinion doesn't matter to him, he is going to carry on regardless. As a long term Labour supporter for many years I am truly gutted to the very core, at his political arrogance. I cannot support a leader that ignores me as a member of the electorate either now or in the future. It makes me sad, so very sad that politics has got to this.

I just wanted to drop a quick email and say that I felt that Jane's decision to step down from the government today was a very brave and noble one. Contrasted with some of more self-promoting and self-interested resignations of the past few days (I think of those who
like to 'rock the boat' and those who don't like being used 'as window-dresssing'). I saw the news this morning on the BBC although I had suspected it might happen over the weekend. I thought that her remarks about the style of government from Number 10 were incredibly
eloquent and I could not have agreed more (as a spectator of politics at least).

Hi Jane,
Firstly I wouldn't normally write to an MP to thank them - but my sheer frustration with the lack of Leadership over the past months has led me to. As a Labour party supporter I watched your BBC interview - calm, collected and extremely suscinct replies.
I just wanted to thank you for speaking out - you seem to be acting in the best interests of the Country, rather than the party - which is so unlike many of your collegues.

Dear Rt Hon Jane Kennedy,
Hi,sorry to here your sad News, but it is good to know that you have got principles.
I am really saddened that Jane feels that she must resign as she was an honest MP and I feel she held her constituents at the heart of her decision making....
Please forward our regrets to Jane as she will be a loss to government and I hope that she continues with her political role in whatever format she chooses.

Heard you today on the radio and would like to say well done. I fully support your actions. Best wishes.

After hearing an interview with this ex-minister I would ask that you pass on my congratulations to her on a calm, reasoned explanation of her actions which demonstrated an understanding and humanitarian approach to politics.  If only others were the same!
It was already difficult for the last week and now as I understand it gets tougher everyday. I am in London but my heart is with friends and comrades in Liverpool. I have just heard about the very unpleasant news regarding Jane. You must be very busy now but I just wanted to say that I have total faith in Jane's judgment and especially in these difficult days I am ready for any help I can do here in London for Jane and for the Labour Party.

How refreshing to see listen to you on Sky News at lunchtime.. The Labour Party wouldn't be in the mess it's in if there were more people like you in it prepared to listen to their own voice.
Your sense of integrity and plain speaking does you great credit and I would vote for you if I could - and I voted Conservative all my life apart from the last election.
Well done!

Please extend my warmest congratulations to Ms Kennedy for her very refreshing and most importantly honest opinions expressed on sky news today. If I had a Labour party representative who clearly does understand the court of public opinion, and is not frightened to declare it, standing in my constituency I would return my support for the Labour party. Unfortunately too many ministers are now focused on one issue namely "Self Preservation" and the nation is fully aware of this contempt....
Anyway Jane well done for showing the courage, honesty and integrity to stand up and report the situation precisely as it is. Good Luck

I am an Israeli visiting the UK very frequently for professional reasons.
With great sorrow I have read this morning in the press that you have resigned as Farm Minister from Mr Brown's government. This is a very brave act but probably inevitable. I hope you are re-elected to parliament on the next elections. I am very proud of you and wish you all the best.

Just wanted to say I watched your interview on "Sky News" today and I admired your integrity for speaking out on what needs to be said about Gordon Brown et al. I have always voted Labour  but I am very dismayed about what has happened.  

I am not a constituent, but I wanted to express my support for Jane Kennedy.   Her decision is the correct one, and it demonstrates her courage and integrity.
I was also very impressed with her comments about the PMs methods not being the way that politics should be conducted - it is absolutely correct that the cynical approach of number 10 contributes greatly to the devaluation of the political process. Anyway - I hope people will listen to Ms Kennedy.

Please pass to Ms. Kennedy our congratulations on demonstrating her integrity and please pass on on our best wishes.