Yesterday I attended the launch of the Humber Bridge Toll Study at Westminster. The study was paid for by the four Councils in the Humber area and quite cleary shows that the region would benefit to the tune of £1.1 billion pound if the tolls were removed.

The launch event itself was a little taken over by the Labour MPs and Labour run North Lincs Council and the photos in the local press prove this. To actually get into the event you needed special permission from one of the Labour MPs which is a bit rich considering the fuss they created over David Cameron's visit to Brigg!

Anyway, cheap photo opportunities aside, the important thing is that the study shows quite clearly that the regions economy and workforce would benefit from the removal of the tolls. That's why the response of the Government to the study was a little disappointed as they basically said that it was not a matter for them but was a local matter!

We all need to keep pulling in the same direction on this issue although there will come a point if the Government keeps slamming the door in our faces when we may have to look at whether or not that approach is working. For now though we all have to keep pushing for action to remove or reduce the tolls significantly.

There will be further meetings between all the parties in the near future to try to agree our next line of attack. We need to all push in the same direction and speak with one voice and then just possibly the Department for Transport might listen to us.

Credit to the Hull and Humber Chamber of Commerce for all the work they did on this too, and also to the Humber Action Against Tolls campaign group who have been pushing on this for years now.

Photo: Me, Cllr Liz Redfern & Graham Stuart MP (Beverley)  at Westminster with the report.