No show-down for minister
(Anglia Advertiser, 29 April 2005)
ENVIRONMENT minister Elliot Morley disappointed dozens of residents anxious to talk to him about coastal erosion yesterday afternoon when he failed to arrive at a pre-arranged visit.
Labour candidate for Great Yarmouth Tony Wright invited Mr Morley to Somerton Staithe to learn more about the local reed cutting industry. A number of people from surrounding villages heard of the ministerial visit and decided to use the opportunity to confront Mr Morley about his policy on offshore dredging and the effects it has on coastal erosion. After pushing back his arrival at the staithe by an hour due to a late train, it was then announced that Mr Morley would not be attending at all.
Speaking at an afternoon appointment in Lowestoft yesterday, Mr Morley said the reason for calling off his visit was due to running an hour and a half late and the presence at the staithe of the Countryside Alliance and Conservative parliamentary candidate for Great Yarmouth Mark Fox whom he accused of being "allied... with people who kill animals".
Mr Morley added that he had still met as arranged with representatives of Winterton Parish Council to talk about dredging and coastal erosion which he was "glad to be able to do".
Mr Fox called the cancellation of the visit a "huge over-reaction". "I was campaigning in the area... and was interested to see what was happening," he said. "I am surprised that Labour cancelled the visit because there was no threat of any serious disruption or problem of any kind really.
"What it does show is that Labour is only interested in posing for the press and not interested in talking to the worried residents of Winterton."
Coastline Concern Action Group's Malcolm Kerby was one of the disgruntled residents who were left standing by the roadside. "I came here to talk to the minister because he won't talk to us," he said. "Goodbye democracy; this so-called minister won't answer letters and won't come and meet the people."
Mr Kerby said, out of respect for Tony Wright, he would not pursue the matter immediately but would take it up with Mr Morley soon, adding: "He won't answer me because he never does."
Both Mr Wright and Mr Fox have recently issued statements expressing their concerns about the impact of offshore dredging on the region's coastline. Mr Wright has called for more research before any more dredging is allowed to take place and Mr Fox stated he would be committed to stopping dredging immediately should he be voted in on May 5.