Bolton Journal Article, Cllr John Walsh MBE

BOLTON JOURNAL ARTICLE

Councillor John Walsh OBE 

Leader of the Conservative Group, Bolton MBC

The confirmation that the Government has decided to agree that the transport bid which us based on a congestion charge will proceed for consultation comes as no surprise. After all, Ruth Kelly’s Transport Department is responsible for promoting the bid in the first place.

What is a continuing worry is that there is still nothing new for Bolton yet Labour councillors have welcomed the plans even before the Council has considered the matter. Now we find that your money is being spent on television and press advertising and to produce a 12 page booklet which is not even the promised consultation document. It is merely called an information bulletin. The publication, like the adverts is very one sided presenting the case for the investment in public transport but not mentioning until the last few pages that under Labour’s plans this is all dependant on congestion charging. Whilst the latest details do not include Bolton as a future congestion charge zone the earlier information leaflets did so the threat still exists. Remember also that the Liberal Democrat Leader said that he supported congestion charging “….in all our great towns…” and Liberal Democrats locally have never denied their support.

These booklets and adverts must have been produced even before Ruth Kelly made the announcement last week so it would appear that certain people, presumably Labour councillors, were told about the announcement and agreed the publication in advance of Parliament. This is a disgrace and I have asked for the matter to be investigated at the highest level.

We all want investment and, as Conservatives have shown, this can be done without congestion charge.

Last week the long delayed plans to close many post offices in Bolton were revealed. The plans had been deliberately delayed until after the local elections and is it any wonder? There are seven in Bolton which are now under threat with just a few weeks to fight the proposals. It is a great pity that the Council has been so slow to act. In April Labour councillors supported a Conservative resolution in Council to find ways to work with the Post Office to seek ways to support post offices under threat. To date all that Labour has done is to report this to its own Executive. This is hardly a surprise. As I reported last month Labour’s Chairman of Planning claimed in public that there would be no closures in Bolton. The Government’s announcement now proves that was just what we always knew it to be, another empty boast!

Weeks of delay at such a key stage in the process means vital time has been lost. But then again Labour MPs knew a few weeks ago which post offices were proposed for closure and did nothing, just as when Parliament voted for the closure programme local Labour MPs supported the plans. Can I urge you to join the Conservative campaign against these closures? Please help to oppose yet more Labour cuts. Only by working together do we have any hope of keeping these vital public services open.

Councillor John Walsh OBE

12th June 2008