Letter to Editor: In search of MP Chris Vince’s moral compass
General / Sun 6th Apr 2025 at 08:13am
Dear Editor,
I AM old enough to remember a Councillor in Harlow called Chris Vince, who was a member of Amnesty International, an organisation that promotes human rights, and which issued a report in December 2024 that stated that the State of Israel was committing genocide in the Gaza Strip.
Was Councillor Chris Vince related to the Harlow MP Chris Vince, who has continued his deafening silence on the large-scale violations of international humanitarian law inflicted upon the people of the Gaza Strip by the State of Israel?
The State of Israel ended the ceasefire in the Gaza Strip on 18 March, resumed its bombardment, and cut off humanitarian supplies. Doctors are now treating wounded people in operating rooms without soap, antibiotics, or X-ray facilities.
One of the victims was a 15-year-old girl “shredded” by bullets from a helicopter gunship while riding her bicycle. A doctor said that she would be “lucky” if she retained three of her limbs.
Five ambulances, a fire engine, and a United Nations vehicle were struck by the Israel Defence Forces (IDF) on 23 March, according to a United Nations official, killing eight Palestinian medics, six members of the Civil Defence, and a UN staff member. Their bodies were found buried in a mass grave on 30 March, apparently ploughed over by IDF bulldozers.
The IDF has killed more than 100 Civil Defence workers and more than 1,000 health workers in the Gaza Strip in the past 18 months, according to the United Nations.
The United Kingdom is a Permanent Member of the United Nations Security Council and supplies weapons and other military assistance to the State of Israel. It therefore has a duty and a moral responsibility to not only condemn the violations of international humanitarian law occurring in the Gaza Strip, but to also impose sanctions against the State of Israel, including an embargo on the sale of military goods. Its failure to do so makes it complicit in the crimes being committed in the Gaza Strip.
The refusal of Labour MP Chris Vince to call on a Labour government to take action against crimes against humanity in the Gaza Strip suggests that the people of Harlow are represented in Parliament by someone with no moral compass.
Yours sincerely
John Wake
Jabbi
2025-04-06 08:33:02
It’s not a genocide. Don’t start a war then cry when you are losing. It has and never will be anything but Israeli land. 57 Islamic countries and only one Jewish state but you want it erased.. strange
Jabbi
2025-04-06 08:35:05
Some dates of note: 632 Mohammed dies, Muslim expansionism begins 634-636 conquer Byzantine-Christian Syria 635 conquer Byzantine-Christian Jerusalem 641-642 conquer Christian Egypt 647 conquer Christian Tunisia 652 conquer Christian Sicily 654 attack Christian Crete 674 besiege Constantinople (in Anatolia - modern day Turkey) 682 conquer Morocco 7th century - East African slave trade begins (Muslims enslave and traffic Africans, finally ended by the British Empire in 1918 following the defeat of the Muslim Ottoman Empire which sided with Germany in world war 1 and declared jihad on the West) 711 conquer Christian Spain (which they continued to colonise and occupy parts of until finally expelled in la Reconquista of 1492) 720s/730s - attack the Pyrenees, including Christian Switzerland and Christian France (up to Tours) 846 - attack Rome 1095- First crusade to retake holy land
gary roberts
2025-04-06 09:02:23
Politics today with politicians' of all colours and none appear to represent themselves and not the people that elected them. MP Vince appears to sit in that cohort. So any policies that conflict with his conscience means obfuscation and denial such as that highlighted by Mr Wake. Please also note he was voted in by claiming 37% on a turnout of 58% of the electorate which is not his fault but a representation of the current system with an electorate so apathetic they decided to stay at home. Thus a government that cuts benefits to the old, ill, disabled and young is the result. And supported by MP Vince. Another four years of this will result in an even lower turnout next time and even more obfuscation sadly!
Lostinthemiddle
2025-04-06 10:30:11
To be fair I didn’t see the govt stepping in when Palestine handed back a body that wasn’t even one of the hostages and had no idea who it was until dna tests showed it was someone else. I didn’t see govt stepping in when Hamas paraded hostages in the handover surrounded by gunmen and chanting death to Israel. I’m not saying Israel are right in breaking the ceasefire, but what I am saying is don’t try and take one side when ignoring some of the pretty horrific things they have done, both before and after the ceasefire themselves. Highlight both sides for the bad they are doing, not play one as the innocent victim…
Seamus
2025-04-06 11:39:47
John Wake I would agree. Mr Vince would have trouble finding a moral compass even with a sat nav. He's turned on Harlow's pensioners, Harlow villagers farmers and Harlows Waspi women. The issue of the middle east however has always been a constant and some vacuous mp who turns on those he's supposed to represent, won't cure it.
Resident
2025-04-06 20:33:13
So many people are silent about the attack on pensioners, disabled and sick, farmers and waspi women, but are prepared to stand around up the town for hours protesting about things in other countries. We have enough problems here that need sorting out, how about protesting about that?
Peter Lamb
2025-04-06 21:08:14
Chris Vince will almost certainly be a 1 term MP for Harlow, he has absolutely no interest in supporting Harlow residents and will do whatever his puppet master Starmer tells him to do,
AB
2025-04-07 00:17:35
Labour's continued support for Israel's genocidal attacks on the Palestinian people is the last nail in the coffin of any support I had for that party.
Mark Lavender
2025-04-10 11:32:28
Anyone here one of the 37% of the 58%? Anyone?
Nick Gunning
2025-04-12 12:26:08
Horrified today to see a pair in the Stow campaigning for 'Reform'- The day after Farage claimed he could liaise between Keir Starmer and Donald Trump to get deals. That's the Donald Trump who said that the Nazis were kind to people in Auschwitz etc. Gave them extra food and comforts!!! Perhaps they did to the ones who helped loading up the ovens with the victims' corpses. I wonder what many in our Jewish, Polish or Hungarian residents think about claims about public morality of the MP, when compared with these people!
David Forman
2025-04-14 00:40:09
The evidence regarding Chris Vince and Amnesty International is provided courtesy of YourHarlow in an article dated March 29, 2018. Key quote from that article: 'Chris Vince who was involved in the setting up of the group said after the meeting, "I was delighted to see many people come to this meeting from across Harlow. It shows that in our town there is a real passion for justice and to defend people’s human rights. I am looking forward to our next meeting when we can really start to focus on some specific campaigns."’ See for yourself at https://www.yourharlow.com/2018/03/29/harlow-branch-of-amnesty-international-launched/
Adrienne
2025-05-18 10:08:58
Internal infrastructure wouldn't be a bad idea and a little zebra crossing.The pavements and internal roads are appalling. Also some cat h up work on repairing council houses Also I hear a few people were upset that housing associationdd wrtr not keeping tenants housing up to scratch. You know prettying up the outside of the town is an excellent idea but not when it is at the expense of maintaining the rundown properties. There are a lot ofjackef off people out there. All of them feeling disenfranchised .
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