Tea, Toilets, Transport and Emergency Cover - an MP's Responsibility

This weekend I left home by car on Saturday morning to attempt to travel from Rickmansworth in Herts to Slough in South Buckinghamshire. I travelled through three constituencies of the MP's Mr Gough (Herts), Mr Bercow, North Buckinghamshire, Mr Greaves, South Buckinghamshire. It took 5 hours to reach my destination, because there was no grit and salt laid on the roads at anytime before or during the journey. Cars slid along and often careered off the roads because of a failure by Local and National Government to act immediately to bring in snow ploughs from other areas. The M25 in Mr Bercow's constituency was a disgrace.

On the return journey the road from Slough to Uxbridge the main artery road beside the famous Pinewood studio was treacherous because no grit had been laid and it has a steep incline which means cars cant traverse it when ice forms under the snow. An non council contracter took it upon himself to tow cars up the hill despite asking for money to do so, but he was successful in getting motorist home where no police van or highway petrol was available to help the three hundred cars that were stuck. It reminded me of the third world country Kenya where in the rainy season because of a lack of government money and infra-structure cars are regularly winched along the mud-sliding roads. There cars become strewn along the routes falling off the roads in the similar scenes to the M25.

It is the responsibility of MP's to care for their constituents and make sure their welfare is put first. How the three Conservative MP's failed this weekend in particular Mr Bercow who should really consider his postion. Its not enough to say it was the worse weather in 20 years. I seem to remember at that time in 1990 the roads were indeed gritted and passable with no accident so whos kidding who? the transport secretary was out of step with the reality of the situation too.

As for Heathrow, I found today at home I could easily remvce the two inches of impacted ice and snow by lifting it off the ground with a garden hoe. Perhpas thats what should be suggested to Mr Walsh who seems intent on causing hardship to people over Christmas. He seems to be like BP in the Deepwater incident just letting it all happen without taking any responsibity.

So maybe the British people stuck in Heathrow should get garden hoes, and spades, then get off their backs and actually clear the run way themselves. They did it on the roads themselves yesterday...not because of big society but because government had failed locally and nationally. But that reminds me of a phrase that when you straighten your back, you are going somewhere because you can@t rid someones back when it is bent.

As I said in my last blog all parties must take responsiblity for the riots last week which were dressed up as student riots when they were also serious race riots moving tandem with them. We have reached the juncture of the broken promises speech of Martin Luther King in 1963....
Will the British people allow their backs to be bent again this week? I hope not....as for Mr Walsh of British Airways ... shall he compensate the passengers for their losses.... for truly he should pay their hotel bills. But may like BP he wants these insurance claims to await him?

Martin Luther King Jr. - I Have a Dream