Politically Correct by Peter Gibson

Brexit plan will help '¨us take back control
Coun Peter Gibson, leader of Wyre Borough CouncilCoun Peter Gibson, leader of Wyre Borough Council
Coun Peter Gibson, leader of Wyre Borough Council

On June 23 last year, I, like around two thirds of people in Wyre voted to leave the European Union.

I was delighted at the result, although somewhat surprised as I believed the overtones of fear broadcast by the experts and economists may have taken a toll on those voting out.

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However, the British people showed courage and trusting their instinct voted to leave the European Union.

Following the result we have been in this ‘phoney war’ where those who either can’t believe the result or refuse to respect the result have been calling for another vote, or a legal challenge, or a soft landing, and a whole host of other rouses to keep us in the EU, but to me they are flogging a dead horse.

I knew, as I am sure everyone else knew, what an out vote would mean.

It would mean leaving the administrative empire of the European Union with its control, regulations, and over paid paper pushers.

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It would mean leaving the single market and all that entails. It would mean leaving the customs union.

These facts were repeated by the then Prime Minister downwards – there was no mistaking what an OUT vote would mean.

Last week the current Prime Minister, Mrs May, delivered an excellent speech which was music to my ears.

She has set out a 12-point plan on how this country will conduct negotiations with the remaining 27 countries of the European Union.

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Mrs May is right when she states no deal is better than a bad deal.

Her 12-point plan will help us take back control, it will give us the ability to control our own immigration, our own trade deals with a world which appears to be queuing up to do business with us, our own sovereignty as a nation, and set our own laws that suit our own circumstances.

Since June 24 every piece of good news is prefixed with the phrase ‘despite Brexit’, I wonder how much longer it will be before the considered wisdom of the experts starts with the phrase, ‘because of Brexit’?

Wyre is open for business

As leader of Wyre Council I am proud of being pro-business.

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Unlike other councils with an ideological bias I don’t think profit is a dirty word.

As a former businessman myself I understand the motivation of those who seek to build up a business.

Profit is the incentive to investment, investment creates wealth, and wealth creates security for families by generating quality, safe, long term jobs.

In Wyre we have a business-park which I believe is the jewel in the crown of our area.

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The former ICI site, now known as Hillhouse International, has some amazing companies operating from its boundaries, and I hope it’s about to get better.

Thanks to our two hard working local MPs Paul Maynard (Blackpool North and Cleveleys) and Ben Wallace (Wyre and Preston) a key barrier to growth is about to be overcome.

The £100m A585 relief road will open up Hillhouse for further investment.

This project will result in cutting congestion and reducing journey times from the M55 to Fleetwood.

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The site is also an Enterprise Zone, which is down to down to Wyre Council with support from both Paul and Ben.

These two actions, the relief road and the Enterprise Zone, have not gone unnoticed in the world at large.

I have met on two occasions with a consortium who wish to invest £800m in a power plant on Hillhouse.

This scheme will generate 1,000 high quality, well paying, secure, and long term jobs, as well as providing power for further growth on the site.

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Working with Ben, Paul, and the Government I am proud to say Wyre is open for business.

Tories lead Labour in polls

Jeremy Corbyn and the Labour Party liken themselves to President Donald Trump!

They believe they will pick up the momentum of anti-establishment populism, the wave that saw Mr Trump’s victory in November.

Jeremy Corbyn and Labour under him are the establishment. They sit in their North London town houses over a bowl of organic muesli reading the Guardian, seeing which lovie or friend has been appointed to which board on which non-governmental organisation this week.

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Only last week they came up with a scheme to decimate the Premier League – capping footballers pay, the effect of which would see the best players the world has to offer opt to join clubs in rival leagues abroad.

A recent opinion poll puts Labour 16 points behind the Conservatives amongst working class voters and with talented and able Labour MPs like Jamie Reid and Tristan Hunt resigning their seats, you would have thought alarm bells would ring.