Campaign Update - Free TV licences for pensioners - 11:34 am, Thu 24th Jun 2010
Since returning to Parliament I have continued to campaign for the extension of the free TV licence from those aged 75 and over to all pensioners.
As people get older many find themselves more reliant on TV for their entertainment and news as they are less able to get out and about. Plus our pensioners are often hit hard by rising costs of living, so any relief that we can give would have a big impact on their standard of living.
Recently I submitted a written question to the department of culture media and sport, asking this policy to be pursed. Unfortunately the answer I received from the Government was less than positive.
I also signed an Early Day Motion in support of free TV licences for pensioners. I am glad to see that it has received support from across various parties and I hope that more MPs will sign it in the near future to show the Government that this is worth taking forward.
I shall continue to push for this. If you support my campaign please leave a comment below or send me an email to let me know.
My statement to Bolton's Coalition Against Cuts demonstration - 12:30 pm, Tue 22nd Jun 2010
I am sorry that I cannot be with you all in Bolton for today’s rally against cuts to public services.
As it is Budget day I will be in the House of Commons trying to make sense of the Coalition Government’s plans to reduce public spending by over £6billion.
I am really concerned that the Tory/Lib-Dem plans will be a disaster for the country and that Northern towns like Bolton will be among the worst effected. There is no doubt that thousands of public service jobs will be lost among the cuts.
Vital services will be seriously affected and many more threatened by these hasty cuts and I am convinced that this will directly affect some of the most vulnerable people in our community – just as cuts by the last Conservative Government did.
I also firmly believe that this programme of cuts could seriously damage our country’s chances of making a full economic recovery. We have seen that Labour’s investments into the country and its people helped the country to break free of the recession. Rapidly pulling that support away could have a devastating affect on our economic future.
I am not against the Government cutting waste or making projects more cost effective in order to reduce the deficit. I am against rapidly taking billions out of an unstable and recovering economy, risking jobs and vital services across the country.
As an elected representative for the people of Bolton, I am proud to support the campaign against the cuts.
As you stand up for jobs and public services in Bolton Town Hall Square today, I will continue to stand up for Bolton in every way I can and do all I can to defend jobs and services in our town.
Good luck and best wishes to you all.
David Crausby, MP for Bolton North East
Bolton's railways face Tory axe - 12:52 pm, Fri 18th Jun 2010
David discussing electrification plans with Lord Adonis
I have long campaigned for the improvement of railway services here in Bolton and have been left greatly disappointed by the recent announcements by the Coalition that these concerns will go unaddressed.
My constituents often raise the issue of over crowding with me. These people have to travel to and from work each day and, long term, the problem will push people towards the roads and discourage others from coming into the town.
It seemed that we would finally have some relief as Labour’s Transport Secretary Lord Adonis personally visited Bolton on several occasions to see first hand how big the problem was. After a lot more hard work we were able to secure a promise that more carriages would be purchased for Northern Rail and Transpennie Express services and that Bolton would be included in electrification plans.
In the last week we have heard the new coalition Transport Secretary dismiss the issue entirely and say we have no need of extra carriages. We then heard that the department for transport was unlikely to go ahead with the North West’s £1billion electrification plan because of a lack of funds, while confirming support of a £16billion project to spend on London’s railways.
I will continue to put forward the case for Bolton. Improving services that pass through our town is not just better for us; the benefits stretch across the North West.
The region needs and deserves this investment, Greater Manchester’s continued development is just as important to the country as London’s.
