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.”