Graham Jones

Hyndburn MP

WHAT a cricketing weekend! I raised last month the issue of volunteers, an active Hyndburn, getting involved and supporting our cricket clubs.

From Baxenden Cricket Club’s marvellous victory beating the top of the table Salesbury in a nail-biting finish, my daughter playing for Baxenden under 10’s in a tied game Sunday morning to the fantastic sight of England and Wales (and Ireland) winning the Cricket 50-over World Cup Sunday afternoon.

Sunday’s final was a game we will never see again. Brilliant! So pleased. Time to get the flags out!

So why not this weekend pop along to your local cricket club, get involved and lend local cricket your support.

There’s a very serious point here. Down south they have an over 70’s cricket league yet across many sports here there are no veterans’ leagues.

I know many my age (over 50!) would like to continue to play, the benefits being personal, to the clubs/societies and to the health benefits that lessen the impact and costs on our NHS.

So let’s support our clubs and to our clubs (and the three councils and health authorities), let’s get competitive veterans leagues up and running.

I am sure people will find cricket more riveting than Boris versus Jeremy, the latest underwhelming leader of our country.

With 38pc of the public wanting a hard Brexit and 62pc opposed, trouble lies ahead. I am sure, like me, most of the public are sick of Brexit.

I have got a new slogan; Britain before Brexit.

When people ask me what are our local priorities, I am very clear.

Infrastructure investment leading to jobs. Transport, industrial estates and I am currently asking why we don’t have a freight rail container station? I continue to push on about rail and road extensions to the West Yorkshire and beyond and the Labour Council have led on the development of the largest Industrial estate in Lancashire.

Secondly, we need to improve skills and opportunities along with promoting the positive. I encourage school children to come to Parliament.

Aspiration is important. We need, as Labour proposes, lifelong learning for all. We have enabled and supported #Amazing Accrington business forum, the latest annual jobs fair which was incredibly successful and The Hyndburn Business Awards - supporting and rewarding local businesses.

We have agreed to hold later this summer a business-schools summit which seeks to offer every child the opportunity to visit businesses, understand the world of work and hopefully inspire their careers decisions.

Thirdly, pride and civic duty. There are a minority of moaners on Accrington Chatters whose sole aim is to talk down our area.

The one common truth is that I never see any of these moaners giving anything back to any civic group in the area they claim to care about.

Last month, with the Joe Cox Foundation, I met with civic groups who tell me they are crying out for volunteers.

So why not swap that 15 hours a week on some Facebook page attacking others, the MP or some other victim with nonsense and drivel, give *that* time to helping someone in the community helping to make Hyndburn great.

To be clear. I hold in high regard community volunteers. I hold in low regard Facebook keyboard warriors along with trolls and bullies.