Why is Boris best for us, Mr Berry?
AN important election is currently taking place which, unless you’re a card-carrying member of the Conservative Party, you’re not allowed to take part in.
By the time you read this, it’s likely the final two candidates for the Conservative Party will have been confirmed.
It’s exceptionally likely Boris Johnson will be one of those two candidates, which is incredibly good fortune for our local MP Jake Berry, who has been a long time, loyal supporter of Mr Johnson.
But is the apparent coronation of Mr Johnson good news for Rossendale? Obviously, the local members of the Conservative Party who vote for Mr Johnson will be happy
if he wins, but what about the rest of us?
Picking a new Prime Minister is an incredibly important job, one you might argue needs to be verified by the country at large in a snap general election, especially given the 2017 General Election which Theresa May managed to win and lose at the same time was very much fought on the ‘Theresa May for Prime Minister’ ticket.
Whether or not that will happen (turkeys, Christmas etc), time will tell, but in the meantime, it’s important Mr Berry shares as much information as possible as to why Mr Johnson, his chosen candidate, is the right man for Rossendale (and Darwen for that matter).
Here are five questions it’s not unreasonable for Mr Berry to address in the near future: 1. What research into the other candidates did Mr Berry do before backing Mr Johnson? WHILE many Conservative MPs were still saying they had to make up their minds about who to back to succeed Theresa May, Mr Berry had already declared his backing for Mr Johnson.
Loyalty is an admirable trait in any walk of life, but what was Mr Johnson offering which the others weren’t which will directly benefit Rossendale? 2. What was Mr Berry’s main reason for backing Mr Johnson? IS it loyalty? We know Mr Berry believes Mr Johnson is the leader this country needs - but why?
And how will that be good news for us here in Rossendale? 3. What views from the borough did Mr Berry canvass before backing Mr Johnson? AT the end of the day, Mr Berry is our elected representative in Parliament.
He is the only person in Rossendale who plays a part in deciding which two candidates make it on to the final ballot for Tory Party members.
Mr Berry has been good in the past at canvassing opinion before making a decision, such as on Brexit votes.
What canvassing of the wider borough did Mr Berry or his team take before jumping in with Mr Johnson? 4. Why will Mr Johnson be good for Rossendale? LET’S face it, Rossendale’s had the rotten end of the stick when it comes to many government policies in recent years.
Millions wiped from council spending, resulting in council tax going up to offset some of the Government cuts.
Schools complaining of budgets not keeping up with either inflation or demand.
NHS queues getting longer and longer, and the promise of a four-hour wait at Blackburn A&E often little more than a pipe-dream, much to the distress of patients and over-working doctors, nurses and other staff. Police chiefs citing budget cuts for rising crime.
All of these things have in common so-called austerity, which hits places like Rossendale especially hard. Will that change? 5. What promises for Rossendale did Mr Berry get in return for his support? WE know Mr Johnson is far less convinced by HS2 than Mr Berry - whose ministerial brief includes HS2 in some respects - so what promises did Mr Berry secure in return for his support?
The answer could be ‘none’ given Mr Johnson isn’t short of support, but it would be nice to know.
In the likely event that Mr Johnson wins, only time will tell if Mr Berry was right to throw his lot in behind the former London Mayor. It’s a gamble - not just for Mr Berry, but for the people he represents here in Rossendale also.