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Goole MP Andrew Percy and East Riding Councillor, Caroline Fox, have launched a petition against the proposed closure of Goole Magistrates. The move comes following a high profile campaign by local MP Andrew Percy who won a parliamentary debate on the proposed closure in early July.

The petition comes in the same week that Andrew Percy won a promise from the Justice Minister for a face to face meeting to discuss the closure in more detail. It is hoped that the petition will be available to sign in local shops. The petition is also available on-line and all responses will be submitted as part of the consultation process.

In a further move, Andrew has also written to local Parish and Town Councils to ask them, if they have not already done so, to write to oppose the closure before the consultation ends in September.

Goole MP Andrew Percy explains, "The idea for a petition came from Councillor Fox who has already spoken out against the closure at the East Riding Council. It seemed to me to be a great idea and that is why Caroline and I have jointly launched the petition. Our hope is that local people will sign the petition in sufficient numbers to show HMCS (Her Majesty’s Court Services) that we value our court and we won’t let it close without a fight.

"I am also delighted that I have been able to secure a meeting with the Minister to discuss the closure in more detail. In particular, I want to get to the bottom of the running costs for Goole and how much it will cost to transfer cases to Beverley. The last Government cut funding for the Magistrates Courts Service to the tune of 7.5% for each of the last three years and the new Government has been left to clear up their mess.
However, that does not mean that we can’t save Goole and I feel we have some very strong arguments in favour of retaining Goole."

Councillor Caroline Fox adds, "I have already spoken out against this closure of Goole at East Riding Council and I am hoping that the Council will also oppose this closure. The idea for a petition comes from our desire to get as many local people involved in this issue as possible.  If we can show HMCS that local people are concerned about this proposal then just possibly, people power may win the day."

Local MP Andrew Percy has demanded an apology from a senior Labour Shadow Minister for condemning the Coalition government’s help for port business as ‘pork-barelling’. The comments were made by Shadow Secretary of State for Local Government, John Denham MP, during questions to Local Government Minister Bob Neill MP.

Andrew Percy says, “I was absolutely disgusted at what John Denham said and his comments are a real slur on the hard working businesses and workers at the port. Labour’s port taxes threatened hundreds of jobs here in Goole and the fact that the new Government acted so quickly is something that has received nothing but praise from across the industry.

John Denham should come to Goole and apologise to workers for effectively telling them that he thinks they should have been put out of work. He has let slip that, despite the fine words of local Labour MPs in the run up to the election, Labour Ministers had no intention of ever doing anything about these port taxes.

The new Government has acted quickly and kept to its election promise to help port workers both here in Goole and across the country. It just goes to show that we now have a Government that is actually interested in Goole and in helping to protect local jobs.

I have been proud to be involved in this campaign at which Goole has been at the centre. I brought several Shadow Ministers to the docks before the election and since the election we have had the new Minister, Bob Neill MP, back to meet with port businesses and workers.”