“Stop Bashing Bedworth!” says Byles

Former soldier Dan Byles, the Conservative Parliamentary Candidate for North Warwickshire & Bedworth, today expressed his support for the town of Bedworth, and criticised Labour MP Mike O’Brien for implying that the town was being neglected.

Speaking from Bedworth High Street, where he was discussing the impact of the recession with local business leaders, Dan said:

“It is ludicrous for our local MP to claim that Bedworth is being neglected by the Borough Council. The truth is Bedworth suffered 34 years of neglect by the previous Labour council, and after only 11 months of Conservative leadership things are already improving dramatically.

“Conservative councillors have resolved the problem of shopping trolleys littering the town, have introduced street entertainment, have resolved a number of longstanding unadopted roads, and have improved the market to help maintain a vibrant town centre. Most importantly, under the Conservatives, the council has established a dedictated Bedworth Town Centre Partnership Board.

“Local conservatives have carried out the largest ever crime survey of the people of Bedworth, and helped to get the police station open again on Saturdays for a trial period.

“And local people have expressed their delight to me that the Conservative council has helped to guarantee the future of both the football and the cricket clubs by agreeing long leases for the grounds. This will enable them to apply for grants which were previously closed to them. Local Conservatives have even sponsored the Bedworth United Football Club Youth Team as a positive gesture of support for youth sporting activities in the town.

“So I say to O’Brien - stop bashing Bedworth. The sad fact is that it was his party, the Labour Party, who recently voted against plans to bring up to 1000 new jobs to Bedworth at the Bayton Road Industrial Estate.

“And our local Labour MP personally helped to close local Post Offices in Bedworth last year, against the wishes of local people, by refusing to vote against those closures in Parliament.

“After 34 years of a Labour Council, it will take some time to turn Bedworth around and to catch up with other parts of Warwickshire. But we Conservative have rolled up our sleeves and made a good start. Just like we’ll have to do with the country as a whole after the General Election.”