Letter to the Editor – Dan Byles responds to MP over Fire Station Closure

Sir

Once again, it is with a sad heart that I find myself having to waste time replying to a silly political attack from Labour MP Mike O’Brien over the issue of fire station closures. Time that we should both be spending on seeking a solution, on lobbying the council and the Chief Fire Officer, and on urging local people to write into the consultation.

The only way we will save Bedworth fire station is by encouraging thousands of people to respond, and so demonstrating that the public have no confidence in these proposals. We will not save the fire station by calling each other names. I didn’t leave the Army to come into politics to engage in that sort of petty nonsense, and as a lawyer and junior minister Mr O’Brien should know better too.

I am spending my time gathering signatures on our petition (into the thousands now), and delivering leaflets to every house in Bedworth giving people the details of how to take part in the consultation. I am trying to generate a wave of letters to the Council so that we overwhelm them with the message that we do not want our fire station to be closed.

Mr O’Brien, on the other hand, seems to be spending his time and effort seeking to score cheap political points over an issue that I believe is too important to be used as a political football.

And while we’re at it Mr O’Brien, why are you delivering thousands of leaflets around Bedworth that do NOT tell people how to take part in the consultation, and do NOTHING to help save the fire station – they simply ask people to write to you telling you who they are going to vote for at the election? What a waste of time and effort. All those leaflets which could have been useful, but aren’t. All you are doing is seeking political advantage from this situation. Shame on you.

Now stop these silly newspaper attacks, and stop distracting me and my volunteers and helpers from getting the message out to the people of Bedworth about how they can save the fire station.

Once again I urge everyone to write in to tell the Chief Fire Officer that they have no confidence in his proposal to close Bedworth Fire Station. The deadline is 8 December:

Warwickshire Fire and Rescue Service, Improvement Plan Consultation, Service Headquarters, Warwick Street, Leamington Spa, CV32 5LH

Kind regards

Dan Byles

Parliamentary Candidate for

North Warwickshire & Bedworth