Westminster Week
Posted by Kitty Ussher, MP for Burnley, at 11:47, Fri 21 December 2007:
Dear Friend,
Very early last Monday morning I started off my usual journey down to Westminster by getting the first ever direct train from Burnley Central to Manchester Victoria. It was a bit of a celebration for those of us who have spent the last few years campaigning for a direct train line. I’d like to thank Northern Rail for agreeing to my request to jiggle their timetables to get a direct train.
But it’s only a first step. Eventually what we need in Burnley is a fast commuter train to Manchester. The bus is good, but at peak times the problems with traffic on the M66 make it an unreliable choice for people who want to work in Manchester during normal office hours. I’d like to see a train that can go direct from Burnley to Manchester in around an hour, whatever the time of day, whether its via Blackburn or via Todmorden. That way Burnley people can get easy access to the good jobs available in booming Manchester without having to move house.
These questions are currently being looked at by Network Rail who will be issuing a consultation document on this and other things in the new year. We’ll need to mount a good campaign to persuade them that there is demand for such a service. In the meantime the best thing people can do is to use it! The direct train leaves Burnley Central at 0632, arriving Manchester Victoria at 0751. There’s then a direct train back that leaves Manchester at 1729. The more people who are on it the better our chances of getting it expanded.
Parliament broke up this week for the Christmas recess, to return on January 8th. By tradition, the business of the last day was given up to a so-called “adjournment debate” where MPs can give a speech on any issue they would like to. This is usually an opportunity for backbench MPs to raise constituency concerns and there was no shortage of takers this week with Hon Members raising all sorts of issues from their local theatres and hospitals, through to the structure of local government and even the fate of a pigeon and allotment club in the North East. Giving a speech like this may not lead to a change in policy but it certainly allows MPs to tell their constituents that they have raised the matter in parliament.
For my part, I’ve done my fair share of parliamentary performances having spoken in two debates in the last week, the first on the situation at the Northern Rock bank and the second on our policies to promote credit unions and financial inclusion.
Speaking of credit unions, back in the constituency on Friday I held a meeting with Burnley credit union to better understand whether there are things we can do to help them grow. After that, it was off to the town hall to co-ordinate our plans to make Burnley a fair trade town – and I am pleased to report that Burnley’s application to the fair trade foundation has now been sent off! I then had an update meeting with the new head of Burnley police, Chief Superintendent Neil Smith, followed by my office team meeting and a surgery held at the Methodist Church in Hargreaves Street.
The weekend saw more surgeries and Christmas celebrations including joining worshippers at the Life Church in Gannow and at St Peters for the culmination of their splendid Christmas Tree festival.
I’ll be clocking off for a few weeks now as the arrival of our second child is now imminent. But my office will remain open and I will be in constant touch with my team so please don’t hesitate to get in contact in the normal way if you need my help with anything.
All that remains for me to do is to wish all my constituents a very happy Christmas and a peaceful and prosperous 2008.
Kind Regards
Kitty Ussher MP
6 ways to contact Kitty Ussher MP
Write to: House of Commons, London, SW1A 0AA or 2 Victoria Street, Burnley BB11 1DD
By phone: 01282 450840
By fax: 01282 839623
By email: ussherk@parliament.uk
On-line: www.kittyussher.com
In person: Kitty's office is situated opposite the main Post Office on Hargreaves Street in Burnley Town Centre and is open to constituents from 10am to 4pm from Monday to Friday (closed between Christmas and New Year).
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