Dartmouth Visit No 2
Sarah Wollaston paid her second visit to Dartmouth today. Her previous visit took place on Food Fair day, and she heard a great deal about the rate revaluation problems. She also met with the Townstal Residents' Association to hear from them what they saw as the most important issues in Dartmouth.
This time, she visited Graham Lewis at Eltek Semiconductors. Graham is an important employer in the town, with a very low staff turnover. He brings a high-tech manufacturing capability to Dartmouth.
She canvassed in Townstal, and called on Beryl Calder, a former Mayor of Dartmouth. She had lunch with Cllr. Hilary Bastone, and went to The Canvas Factory to speak to Joe Murtagh, Vice Chairman of the Chamber of Trade and member of the Board of Dartmouth Harbour Authority. She visited the police station and several town-centre shops.
She was also able to talk to many people when she went canvassing in the town, and said:-
"I visited Dartmouth early on in my campaign, and learned at first hand about the very real difficulties faced by small business with the proposed increases in rates. I have kept in touch with the group involved, and they know they have my full support.
"Today I've been able to meet many more people while I've been canvassing. I've had a great welcome wherever I've been, and am really grateful to all the people who have gone out of their way to keep me informed about the town. There are some difficult decisions to be made if it is to retain its individuality and prosperity, and I'll certainly do all I can to support it."
