What an odd topic for the Labour Party to choose to debate. After all, the squeeze on the living standards of millions in this country is a direct result of the need to pay off the nation’s debt that Labour carelessly allowed get out of control. As Member of Parliament for a coastal community it is ironic that Labour wish to talk about living standards when towns like ours suffered 13-years of neglect and under-investment.
14,000 sign campaign petition
With over 12,000 people signing the Fair Fares petition to protect bus services in Norfolk and to receive a better funding package from the government, our campaign goes from strength to strength. However, new figures revealed by the county council this week underline the importance of keeping up the pressure on ministers. A report to senior councillors suggest that on top of the current £4.5 million funding shortfall, they face an additional £800,000 gap in
This is a copy of my article about rural bus funding wirtten for the ePolitix website and published ahead of my debate in the House of Commons today. The wheels on the bus will fall off over the next few years if the government fails to reform transport funding and the Concessionary Fares Scheme. If it does, it will be those in the shire-counties, particularly the rural areas, which will suffer the most. The bus
I found out late last night that I have been called to lead a debate in the House of Commons about the future of rural bus services. This is great news, as I want to highlight the funding gap that shire-counties like Norfolk are faced with now. They have seen a 38% cut in funding for bus services but have to find extra to pay for the free travel pass for pensioners. If extra money
This week I have called for Parliament to debate the funding pressures on the bus network in rural counties. Many county councils are facing a combination of challenges that is putting a strain on bus services. This includes an increased demand for the concessionary fares scheme coupled with a reduction in available funding. Transport chiefs in Norfolk; face a funding shortfall of nearly £2.5 million that threatens the future of many subsidised routes across the
Brandon Lewis