Rural Services Face the Tory Axe

The Tories always claim to be the champions of the rural areas, and always count on having the countryside vote in their back pocket. But their record on supporting rural services sadly doesn’t match the sound bites. I was most disappointed to see in last Saturday’s Shropshire Star that a number of important rural bus services are facing the axe. The Tory led Shropshire Council is considering withdrawing subsidy from these services, including some services between Newport and Shrewsbury, Oswestry and Four Crosses, Telford and Market Drayton, Telford and Bridgnorth and Whitchurch and Market Drayton.

I know budgets are tight and value for money has to be sought, but each one of these services represents a vital lifeline to rural residents. Many people in country districts depend upon these buses and just do not have access to their own car. I would ask the Tories to be very careful before cutting any of these subsidies because of the potential hardship to real people that will result. To truly speak for the countryside, political parties must look after the interests of all rural residents, not just a chosen few.

I will also be keen to find out exactly why the West Midlands Show went into liquidation, after a proud 120 year history. With the Tories in control of the former County and Borough Councils, plus the Unitary, how was this catastrophe allowed to happen?

Positive Local Spending

So far this week the Labour government has spent £50 million on a new hospital for Shrewsbury to replace Shelton Hospital and now £85 million on the north west relief Road.

I am happy that the Labour Government has given Shrewsbury the funding for the North West relief Road it will bring much needed jobs and investment to Shrewsbury. That is £135 million that You would not get this if the conservatives were in power!!

Certainly a good win for the town and its residents and I would like to see more worth while projects being funded in the future

Darwin sculpture on Smithfield road

I am getting a lot of people asking me why I allowed the Shrewsbury Borough council to spend over 400,000 pounds on a sculpture on Smithfield road the answer is I did not nor did any other Cllr’s other than Judith Williams and Cllr Charles Armstrong

You see Cllr Armstrong came to council and asked the council for 750,000 for the Darwin celebrations as this was his birth place.  All labour and Lib dems voted against this motion.

But as always all the torys voted like sheep and passed the motion. Then some time later on in the year dont know the date Judith Williams asked we could have a sculpture to celebrate Charles Darwin and if a art foundation chaired by Graham Gallier (the HQ is at Galliers Yard in Longden Road) could pick the art and where it was going to be placed

No Cllrs other than Judith had anything to do with picking the art peice nor where it is going to be placed I hear that they wanted it in the quarry but the Horticultural society would not allow it so they found this little peice of land on Smithfield road which is far to small for this.