Denying people a voice in their future

Dec 31 2007 by Val Javin, Huddersfield Daily Examiner

2007 has been a difficult year for many families in my constituency. The June floods devastated the lives of a lot of people and my thoughts and prayers are with them all as they rebuild their homes.

Climate change is definitely a contributing factor in this adverse weather. There are many measures that we can take as individuals, but I believe the Government needs to look at ways to protect us against future flooding. Building programmes continue to go ahead on flood plains or on high-risk areas and that is unacceptable knowing what we do now.

During the last year I have also been extremely concerned about the social costs involved in the closing of so many of our post offices, both rural and urban, which will strike at the heart of numerous communities across Yorkshire and the Humber.

Post offices are the lifeblood of our communities. They are vital local institutions, just like a local school or pub and are usually also part of a larger retail outlet. When a local post office closes, it often means the closure of the last shop in the community.

Of course it is time to look at how we finance the Post Office. The current Government has so far done nothing, and a great British institution is in danger of being swamped as more and more competitors vie for the market.

All year my postbag is full of examples of how the British people are getting second class treatment from a Government that has shown time and time again it cannot be trusted. Tony Blair solemnly promised a referendum on the new EU constitution three years ago and Gordon Brown now surely has the moral obligation to deliver. This he has failed to do and once again the British people are being denied a voice on their future.

Timothy Kirkhope

Euro MP for Yorkshire and the Humber