I HAD just read a letter in last week's Citizen asking for support for the Tories in the May council elections when I heard the good news that plans for a prison on the former Pontin's site had been scrapped.
The last Conservative government proposed the prison in a desperate attempt to deal with a jail overcrowding crisis, partly due to its bad policies and incompetence.
Our previous Tory MP waffled and wavered on the prison issue. He saw "benefits" coming from it, unlike many of his constituents, who feared the jail's effect on tourism and public safety.
He dithered between the party line and losing local votes. Not much help!
Middleton and Overton people know better than I do, whether their local Conservative councillor's performance on the prison row was satisfactory. Labour's record on this important issue was much better. MP Geraldine Smith fought tooth and nail against it as a councillor and as MP. The Labour-run council opposed the plans and the government has abandoned the Tories' prison plans. Residents may be interested to know that a Labour candidate will be standing in their ward in this year's council elections. Finally, can I thank MAGPIE for their vigorous campaign against the prison.
Brian Ogston,
Morecambe.
Converted for the new archive on 14 July 2000. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.
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