IF you were planning to vote Labour on June 8, don’t let the stupid comments of one member of the party put you off.

First, let me clarify that this is not a plea to vote Labour – as a newspaper, we are politically impartial. If a member of the Conservatives, Lib Dems, Greens or UKIP had made an offensive comment, I'd be making the same plea about voting for them.

No, this is a plea not to be swayed by the remarks of one individual, Debbie Hicks, who did not represent Labour when she said the Manchester bombing was ‘wonderful timing for Theresa May’. This is a plea to vote based on a party’s policies.

Yes, of course the personalities of politicians influence voters – when we go to the polling stations on June 8, we are choosing an individual as our MP and, as a result of who we select, an individual as prime minister.

But when an individual member of a party speaks out, we must consider whether what they are saying actually represents their party.

What Debbie Hicks said did not represent Labour – the party was quick to condemn her remarks.

So, again, don’t let what one person said turn you against a whole political party. That would be a real shame for democracy. We should vote based on policies.