January 1st, 2023
Written by John Grogan
Valley Parade was the place to be on New Year’s Day to see Bradford record back to back victories! In a pulsating battle of the roses the Bantams beat Salford 3-2. Before the Christmas break they had not won at home since Liz Truss was Prime Minister ! Mind you the top sporting fixture to look forward to in Keighley in 2023 has to be Keighley Cougars v Bradford Bulls on Sunday March 26th. Meanwhile here are ten things I will be working on in 2023 - more to come on each of them in the coming weeks:
- Airedale Hospital 🏥🚑👩⚕️ Airedale Hospital must be rebuilt during the term of the next Parliament, or it may close. Tory promises on capital funding have to be taken with a pinch of salt and it will be up to a Labour Government to deliver.
- Clean Rivers 🌊🏊💩 That means sewage discharges into the Wharfe, Aire and Worth need to be cut by 95%.
- The Incinerator 🔥🏭🗑️ A moratorium on new incineration capacity will end any uncertainty about the Marley site.
- Keighley Town Centre🏛️🏬🏢 The regeneration of Keighley Town Centre is urgently required. Labour’s plans to abolish business rates will help but we need a strong partnership between all involved.
- Youth Services and Play Areas 🛝🥅🚲 Expand and renew youth services and play areas across the constituency.
- Crime 🚓👮♂️👮♀️ Tough on crime and tough on the causes of crime is a sentiment which should be brought back into fashion locally with a particular emphasis on the safety of women and girls and combatting dangerous driving.
- Sport and Culture 🏉🏃♀️🎭 Sport and culture brings hope and lifts expectations. I helped Keighley Cougars survive and get Keighley Park Run going. I will work closely with local sports clubs to improve facilities and opportunities. In 2019 I assisted the launch of the Keighley Arts festival. Bradford City of Culture in 2025 is an opportunity that must not be missed.
- Public Transport 🚄🚌🛤️ A high-speed trans-Pennine rail link with a station in Bradford will only be delivered by a Labour Government. The restoration of the Skipton Colne line which could give Keighley direct services to Manchester would be transformational. Tougher bus regulation is something I have campaigned for all my political life.
- Education and Health Inequalities 🏫👨🏫⚕️ It is simply not right that in Keighley and Ilkley Constituency life chances and prospects of good health depend on the postcode where you were born. Change can happen but it requires political determination and resolve.
- Rural and Urban Life 🏠🏙️🏞️ The distinctiveness and quality of life of the villages of the Worth, Wharfe and Aire Valleys and the towns of Silsden and Ilkley need to be cherished. It is easy to divide the communities of the diverse constituency of Keighley and Ilkley, but my aim will be to unite them and work with all councils and Government agencies for the good of all.