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Woolas backing for rail campaign group
Date published: 17 March 2010
Oldham East and Saddleworth MP Phil Woolas has given ministerial backing to an all-party campaign to win a better deal for the north’s railways.
MPs from Greater Manchester and Cheshire have pledged to fight together with colleagues from Yorkshire for better rail services in the North after the next election.
And Immigration Minister Mr Woolas is supporting them.
He said: “As we get better off, we travel more and the train is so much better than sitting in traffic jams.
“We have to work together to get the best regional funding allocation for our railways.”
The cross-party MPs promised their support at a meeting in the House of Commons called by Sheffield Hillsborough MP Angela Smith.
Ms Smith said: “In recent years, London has seen a massive and comprehensive overhaul and expansion of its rail networks.
“It’s now time for the centre of gravity of rail investment to move north as on too many of our services we have trains that are too poor quality and too overcrowded to cope.
“All parties must commit to relieving the major bottlenecks in and around Manchester. A clear funding commitment to see this happen would go a long way to reducing the imbalance in railway investment.”
The MPs hope that others will join them after the election.
Roger Jones, director of the Manchester-based North-West Rail campaign said: “I think it is fair to say that we have been very successful in lobbying Government and MPs of all parties for more investment in the railways, particularly with regard to the Manchester rail hub.
“However we recognise that more needs to be done after the general election.”
The campaign group will meet again in June.
Comments
What a laugh. Please don't rely on Phil Useless's backing. He told us residents of Derker Street that he would back us all the way and when the day came for us to be evicted, then he would be there with all his media machine to help us keep our homes. Well Phil it's now your turn to step up to the plate. I am losung my home on 25th March, what time wiil you be arriving.
Phil Woolas is just like the extra carriages full of promises that never appear.
I not that Phil also says “All parties must commit to relieving the major bottlenecks in and around Manchester” well Manchester are doing their bit I think they are going to close the city centre to nearly all traffic you will all have to go round so it looks like we will need even more carriages and buses but I not that this wont be looked at till after the election when Phil has gone
oh i have a feeling of deja-vous!
1997 labour said vote for us and we'll provide massive investment in public transport!
we voted for them! we got nowt!
2001 labour said keep us in and we'll provide massive investement in public transport which we havent given you yet.
we fell for that one didnt we!
2005 labour repeated the same and then in 2008 tried to fool us with the con charge! in which we would have been paying for it ourselves!
2010 we couldnt possibly fall for their promises again!
Looks like the MPs have been sussed, collect lots of expenses for years and then appear just before the elections are to happen, jumping on any bandwaggon for anything they can say to get in the papers
.
good riddens to all of you, lets have a fresh start, hopefully with people who live here and don't just visit at election time
I agree with all of you - but we have a major problem. We can't vote for the "big Three" as they all watch each others backs while having all their snouts in the trough. We can't vote BNP as they have an awful lot of dirty baggage. UKIP are self imploding so who do we vote for? We need an Oldham equivalent of Martin Bell. Are you ready for Parliament Jim Williams?
Old Manc, it's the same problem at council level.
The Lib Dems have proven how useless they are at running our town. Labour aren't much better, and the Tories hardly put any candidates up in my ward. There's no way I'd EVER vote for BNP. I might even stand myself as an independant at this rate!
As for the general election, I'm just hoping there's a Green Party candidate. It may seem like a wasted vote, but at least I'll be there at the ballot box.
Why doesn't someone start a Northern Party to campaign for the interests of the north?
A regional assembly, more localised power, decentralisation, stop the south stealing our profits and giving nothing back.
Have Your Say
Amazing how politicians suddenly appear when an election is in the offing and looking for a cause to impress their constituents.
By oldhamgent @ 17/03/2010 13:02:07