I WISH to take issue with the letter headed A good sort but not a heavyweight politician' published in last week's Citizen.

It was unfair to Geraldine Smith MP because she is both a good sort and a heavyweight politician. I cannot understand how anyone could think otherwise.

Geraldine perpetually stands up for local views. She is a local person who takes her constituents' views very seriously and who is well known and well liked throughout the town.

She is also a serious political contender standing up to Tony Blair over the war in Iraq and fighting valiantly to bring about tighter controls on the cockling industry which has brought unwanted notoriety to Morecambe Bay.

The vast majority of her constituents see Geraldine for what she is, and that is a hard-working, tireless and superb defender of Morecambe.

Her recent award is testament to her efforts and the criticism of her for non-attendance at a meeting to discuss the Heysham M6 link was unfair because she was representing her constituency in Westminster at the time. That is what she was elected to do.

Joseph Willis, Morecambe.