Labour no longer stick up for the poor.

Posted By: Keith Swift
Date Posted: 11/11/2008

All parties have debates and do not agree all the time about everything, that is a good thing.

In the past I have applauded Jim Dobbin for standing up against Labour Party Policy, but I think he is not seeing the bigger picture on the TIF Bid and not supporting the people of Heywood and Middleton who need good Public transport to get to work.

It is narrow minded and inward looking in the extreme to expect that if we do nothing about public transport things will somehow be OK in the future.

This marvellous opportunity we have of £3 Billion investment, to make the Greater Mancheter public transport system the best in Britain, which will mean the people of Heywood Middleton and the rest of our Borough who do not have access to a car, over 60% of our people, usually the poorest who can not afford a car, will be better able to access work opportunities.

Every  Labour Authority Leader in Greater Manchester from Lord Peter Smith at Wigan and Sir Richard Leese in Manchester, down, strongly support the TIF bid because they understand that this is not just a question of getting into Manchester but about the poorest of our people being able to move around the conurbation to get to  work  on good public transport.

Even the prospective candidate for Rochdale has given his support, but those you would expect to support the poor in  our Borough  appear content to let the roads choke and business and work opportunities go elsewhere because it is not possible for the staff businesses need to get to work in good time.

Not only the City centre but Borough's like ours next to Manchester, will grind to a halt. The  Manchester Roads in both Middleton and Heywood is where the morning congestion is worse, and why we must make this investment in Public Transport.

It is a shame that a Labour MP can't see what is happening in his own constituency and is willing to leave the poor without the chance to get to work.