Articles of interest in the local press.

I've shared Paul Dowling's really comprehensive letter on FB ( Chronicle Feb 15) & meant to post it here. Paul's just joined our media group. Please keep writing to the Chronicle or national press.

Yes excellent letter from Paul. Would be good if we could have a steady flow of letters. As the Devon for Europe leaflet about what we can do said, connecting a letter to a local issue would be good. Responding to someone else's letter also is a way - eg the leaver letter next to Paul's contains plenty to respond to including the ridiculous notion that the EU is a 'protectionist racket'. But it seems we need to write quickly (within a week or so of whatever we are responding to) - the last letter I sent wasn't published, I guess it was because I sent it in a little late (ie 2-3 weeks late).

Also great letter Jane in last week's Chron about the voting system. Fully agree with you on it - and I say that as a Labour supporter.

Ian, might be worth asking the volunteer group if they can identify any individuals who put 'letter-writing' or similar down - you could then follow up with them to see if they would be keen to write a letter. Seems a bit long-winded I know, but would suspect a personal approach would be effective.

Thanks Claire, yes good idea. Does anyone in the volunteer group have the info?
It's worth trying though similar attempts haven't borne very much fruit. Letter writing is not that easy (for many of us anyway), people tend to do it when they have time and feel inspired, so it's not that easy to encourage people.

i had a letter on Brexit and the NHS published in this week's Chron but I don't think its in the on line version - not sure why that would be?

Very few letters are published online - for whatever reason. There's no separate 'letters' section and they're treated as a news item.

Hi Alison, great blog on our website and Chron letter on the NHS. Over the last year or so several of us have had letters on EU/brexit published in the Chronicle, but as far as I know none have appeared online (and none of the leavers' letters either). I don't know why, but in total they only put 1-2 letters per week on their website - often about some high profile local issue. It's normally the opposite for national newspapers - they put far more online than in their print edition.

Just a thought, but perhaps many local newspapers have a policy of not putting letters online to shield letter writers from nasty/abusive online comments. Then again they can put letters online without opening them up for comments.

I think they're overstretched. They don't have enough people to do all the online stuff - staff cuts?

A few great letters in last and this weeks' Chronicle. Simon's was nice, short and 'crisp' - picture of it below. Also last week an excellent one (not by one of us as far as I know) against Rees Mogg and his nasty anti foreign aid agenda. A leaver (Roger White) replied to Simon's this week, but interestingly there was another letter this week (Cllr Ray Love) against Rees Mogg and his extreme brexit agenda which went some way to countering White's letter. If anyone has time and inclination there's plenty to write to the Chronicle about.

The letters keep flowing in the Chronicle. If anyone feels inspired to write, possibly in response to the leaver letters, please do. Posted below are two from last week's edition (March 15), one remain, one leave. The leaver letter repeats old nonsense about getting a good trade deal because German car makers and French wine producers will still want to sell their wares here. Also posted is the leaver Roger White's letter from the week before which I think Nigel Jones responded to well.

I have drafted a letter in response to Pete Burns letter. I might run it past Jane before I send it!

An excellent couple of letters in the Chronicle last week, one from Claire, great stuff!

Anyone who feels inspired please write to them or other local/national newspapers. I think there's a wider range of us remainers getting letters in the Chron compared to the leavers, and given its likely audience (older, more brexity?), worthwhile continuing with.

One subject could be Jacob RM and his dodgy ideas on the effect of Brexit on prices . The Chron published a article online about it but not prominently and not in print. https://www.somersetlive.co.uk/news/jacob-rees-mogg-urged-take-1394313

Getting a letter in would raise its profile.

Just to let everyone know I have written a short response to Roger White's letter last week and used it to call for a People's Vote. Just emailed it now - hopefully not too late. In addition to Ian's ideas above, please can we also write letters supporting the people's vote campaign - particularly tackling the 'but we had a vote/it's undemocratic' argument against.

That's great, let's hope they publish it. I guess it would be too late for this Thursday but we'll see. And yes would be good if anyone else can write to the Chronicle or other media. I'm a bit overdue writing something more myself but won't be able to for at least another 2 weeks.

We've just been talking this evening in the media meeting about trying to get the people's vote into our various messages. Connecting the national and local is important. Good that the national event on sunday got media coverage, but all the local events on saturday didn't as far as I could tell. Also this evening we got onto talking about the need for more coordination of our strategy/messaging with the people's vote initiative. Perhaps something to be talked about at the next steering meeting.