28/01/05 - Shadow Minister For Works & Pensions Visits Swindon

Peter Arkell, David Willetts MP, Cllr Ray Fisher &
Cllr Justin Tomlinson, North Swindon Conservative Parliamentary Candidate

A senior Tory MP has spoken out against 24-hour drinking during a visit to Swindon. David Willetts MP, shadow minister for work and pensions, said the move would not change the problems caused by drunken louts in town centres.

He was speaking ahead of a visit to Arkell's Brewery, which hit headlines after managing director James Arkell said he did not want 24-hour drinking in his pubs.

"The Adver led the national debate on that one," Mr Willetts, MP for Havant in Hampshire, said.

"Certainly in my constituency on Friday and Saturday nights is it like the wild west out there.

"The idea that if we have 24-hour drinking people are going to be sat on the streets sipping Campari and soda is just not going to happen.

"The Government seems to veer between absurd nannying half the time then throwing the rule book away the rest."

The shadow minister was visiting the Swindon brewery after meeting with Swindon Chamber of Commerce to discuss pensions and employment.

He said: "It should be as easy to save as it is to borrow but at the moment it is easy to borrow and extremely hard to save."

He added that the Conservatives would introduce a life-time savings account which the Government would contribute to.

Dennis Grant, chief executive of the Chamber of Commerce and Mr Willetts later discussed the importance of encouraging companies to stay in Swindon.

Mr Willetts also gave a vote of confidence to Coun Justin Tomlinson (Con, Abbey Meads), the Conservative candidate for North Swindon for the next election.

He said: "I'm a great admirer of what Justin's been doing both as a councillor and as a candidate. He is what the Conservative Party needs."

Evening Advertiser 28/01/04