LABOUR’S parliamentary candidate for South Basildon and East Thurrock, Mike Le-Surf, has branded the local Tories as ineffectual and irrelevant after the government announced that historic options D and E for a lower Thames crossing will not be revisited, leaving a crossing running through Thurrock firmly on the table.
Transport minister Robert Goodwill has said options D and E would not be revisited and that they are looking at improvements that may be required on the M25 and A13 in response to options A and C.
Mike Le-Surf said:
“This is a disaster for Thurrock residents and its clear that the current Tory MP has no influence in Westminster with his Tory colleagues.
“The local Tories have proved themselves to be both ineffectual and irrelevant regarding the proposed crossing and the transport needs for the area. We need free flowing tolls to properly assess the requirement for any type of additional crossing so why is the government pushing ahead before this is in place?”
Mr Le-Surf’s comments follow a debate on Tuesday, led by Thurrock MP, Jackie Doyle-Price in a committee room in the House of Commons.
The full debate can be found here
The Chadwell and Orsett private home-owners can now start to panic! Lots of residents will be looking to sell up and move before house values start to fall.
Mr Lesurf makes lots of noise but these plans have their roots under the previous Labour Government. It was under Labour that the proposed routes were first published. And will Lesurf use the word ‘ineffectual and irrelevant’ when describing the influence of the Labour led Thurrock Council over these proposals?
Oh dear Mr Le Surf, playing the political pass the buck game again, yes the Tory local MP was ineffectual in this debate as would any other parties MP as it would seem that the central government have already made their minds up.
Remind me again what effect the local Labour governing council have done to force a change………oh yes not a lot.
Rather than playing pass the buck all the time maybe you and the other parties should actually get together to try and force the issue instead of political point scoring.
Perhaps Mr Lesurf would like to explain why the previous Labour Government failed to scrap the tolls? And then explain what the next Labour Government would do and where they would build this crossing? You can’t huff and puff if your party has no answers.