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The Prosser Perspective.... a weekly column from Dover and Deal MP Gwyn Prosser

5 July 2007

Last weekend’s multiple pile-up on a familiarly foggy A20 which tragically killed one man injured many has highlighted the need to continue our campaign for road improvements on the busy approach roads to Dover and the further accident on Tuesday underlines the need for action.

When the inquiries of the Independent Police Complaints Commission and the RTA Investigators is complete I will be meeting with the interested parties, collating the recommendations of the experts and making representations to the Highways Agency.

If necessary I will apply extra pressure by joining up with the District Council and taking the campaign to the desks of Ministers in Whitehall – but in the meantime we need to learn all of the lessons from these accidents that have blighted the A20 and arm ourselves with a range of rational and practical remedies.

Unfortunately, the Transport Minister who has been so helpful to us in securing the High Speed Rail Link to Dover, delivering our new Diamond Bus Service and breaking the long log-jam on Operation Stack - is no longer in post.

I don’t mean to be disparaging to former members of former governments ) when I say that Steve Ladyman was the first Minister of State for Transport I know who really understood the strategic importance of East Kent’s road and rail infrastructure and who was able to demonstrate a very knowledgeable understanding and appreciation for the UK ’s ports and shipping industries. And I say that with the benefit of leading countless campaigns and lobbying delegations to Ministers of both parties over a period of 20 years or more.

When I was a Parliamentary Agent appearing before the Channel Tunnel Select Committees in Westminster I gained first hand experience of how uncooperative some Ministers could be and I learned how little grasp many of them had on maritime issues. And during my seagoing career, when serving on the Executive Council of the Merchant Navy Officer's Union MUMAST we invited a whole series of rapidly changing Ministers to our head office for discussions on the decline of the British Merchant Fleet and seafarer job losses but we never really felt our message was being absorbed and it was difficult to make any progress on shipping and port matters.

Then, just a year and half after Labour took office, John Prescott transformed the fortunes of the MN fleet by introducing Labour’s famous tonnage tax and Lord Sterling ( the Tory donor who had been one of Mrs Thatcher’s valued advisors ) proclaimed that “Labour has done more to revive the British fleet in it’s first 18 months than the Conservatives achieved in 18 years !” But sadly, until now the growth hasn’t created nearly enough new jobs.

A little bird tells me that in his last weeks of office Steve has hammered out an agreement on jobs and training places and nailed down the long awaited Ports Review. He’s going to be a hard act to follow and East Kent will miss him.