Wednesday 31 March 2010

John Marek

is someone I knew slightly when he was in the Commons, we worked on a few things together, I found him enigmatic.  Now he has left Labour and joined the Tories, we are told (I thought he left Labour quite a long time ago), Oliver Kamm reminds us that in the mid-1990s he was one of two Labour members of the committee for the Crossrail Bill who helped bring Crossrail down.  If I had known that I would have challenged him when we were colleagues.  The Crossrail scheme is of course now being built, one of the achievements of a Labour government I would have said, not so sure now.  Anyone hoping to be elected to Reading Borough Council might consider, and if elected might wish to take action on, establishing how and and why Reading Borough Council dropped its support for Crossrail with a western terminus at Reading.  If you find the correspondence hard to get hold of, not to worry, I have copies of all of it.  For shame, Howarth. 

Mr Salter's much-trumpeted support for Crossrail to Reading did not extend to actually voting for that when the opportunity was there in July 2005.  He abstained.  Just as he did on Iraq.

4 comments:

Anonymous said...

Yes, he did leave the party some time ago. Joining the Tories must be a fairly new venture.
He was disappointed not to be made a Minister.

His sister was - maybe is - active in Kent Labour politics. She was one of the first women to apply to Emily's list re parliamentary seletcion. Incidentally, Barbara Roche, a founder of Emily's list and Labour Women's Network, has been knocked back re selection for the Purnell vacancy. She is being pushed by Charlie and Unite, however, so expect her to find a seat at the last moment. I hope so. She is a good thing.

janestheone said...

Barbara Roche most certainly is a good thing and I wish her well, and a seat if that is what she wants

Martin S MP, Reading said...

APRIL FOOL!! Ha ha.

Gotcha.

Martin S MP, Reading said...

I would like to announce that I too have decided to follow John's lead and join the Conservative Party.