MPs back coalition and hope to act on county's historic under-funding
Lincolnshire MPs plan to join forces to get a better deal for the county, they said yesterday.
Speaking at Westminster on the first day of the new Conservative-Liberal Democrat government, the MPs said they hoped to act on the historic under-funding of the region in areas such as policing.
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Stephen Phillips, Edward Leigh and Karl McCartney.
The county is now represented entirely by Tory MPs, after Labour's Gillian Merron lost Lincoln at last week's General Election.
Newly-elected MP for the city, Karl McCartney, said: "We know that individually our voices aren't as great as if we stand together.
"There are various things – including funding for Lincolnshire services – that need to be looked at so the county gets a fairer deal than it has done over the years.
"Certainly over the last 13 years the Labour government hasn't treated it very well because the majority of the county has been blue.
"It's a positive way forward and I hope we'll be able to act in the county's interests – a joint voice will have more credence if we go to individual secretaries of state to plead our case."
The new MP for Sleaford and North Hykeham, Stephen Phillips, said he had already been discussing the plan with Mr McCartney.
He said: "We're hoping to sit down with the other Lincolnshire MPs and start doing something about the way the county has been forgotten about by the Labour government."
Both broadly welcomed the Tory-Lib Dem coalition under Prime Minister David Cameron at Westminster, the first such government for 65 years.
"I think it starts out with the best of motivations on both sides," said Mr Phillips.
"We're firmly expecting it to be a government for five years, and I see no reason why with good will and the sort of co-operation that the British people expect from their politicians, it shouldn't last a full term."
The county also re-elected several of the most senior members of the Conservative Party last week, including Sir Peter Tapsell in Louth and Horncastle and Edward Leigh in Gainsborough.
Mr Leigh steps down as chairman of the influential Public Accounts Committee, a post which is traditionally held by a member of the opposition party.
Mr Leigh said: "To see a Conservative prime minister for the first time is exciting. It is the dawn of a new era.
"I am just delighted to be an MP in a Conservative government and representing the finest county in England."
5 Comments
by Ian, Heighington
Friday, May 14 2010, 10:20PM
“Not just Foreign aid Peter, that Black Hole in Brussels as well. If we were to stop paying that £8+ Billion to them every Year, that would certainly help the national debt.”
by Mr Sneer, Derision on the Wold
Friday, May 14 2010, 10:12AM
“"I voted you karl but i am now regreting it after reading the councillors are giving them selves rises"
Oh dear God. Karl McCartney has NO say over what Lincolnshire County Council does, just like Gillian Merron had no say over Lincoln City Council when it was controlled by Labour.”
by Colin Mair, Coningsby
Thursday, May 13 2010, 9:13PM
“A good idea but why are only three Conservative MP's involved? Is this just a sound byte? My personal experience, through Sir Peter Tapsell, is that MP's have no power over what local authorities do, and that local authorities don't work well with each other. They can't even agree on how they control parking across the county, with ELDC refusing to co-operate!”
by dean, lincoln
Thursday, May 13 2010, 4:20PM
“I voted you karl but i am now regreting it after reading the councillors are giving them selves rises when the council is laying of this dont make sense they dont do enough as it is are you going to prove me wrong and look into this Karl McGartney”
by Peter, Lincoln /Germany
Thursday, May 13 2010, 1:01PM
“A better deal for Lincolnshire that sounds good, how about a better deal for the whole country.I welcome the new government, but all we,ll hear for the next year or so is we,d like to do more but Labour has left us in such a mess.So my question is as we are in the worst financial crisis in decades which MP,s are going to be brave enough to demand massive cuts in overseas aid,bearing in mind we send billions to countries like China who politically want to ruin us financially or the African countries where we all know it ends up in corrupt dictators pockets or countries like Iran who hate our western democracy.In the crisis we are in its
time to look after our own people.”