A FURIOUS Terry O’Neill, leader of Warrington Borough Council today expressed his ongoing frustration and disappointment over the Government’s U-turn over free tolls for local drivers using the Mersey Gateway Bridge at Halton.
He said the Government’s explanation – that it faced a legal challenge from another council in the area – was a deceitful example of “smoke and mirrors.”
Cllr O’Neill said: “The decision of the government to withdraw from its clear commitment to free tolls on the Mersey Crossing is a total disgrace and an act of political deceit. The Chancellor’s statement prior to the government elections was clear and unequivocal that residents and businesses in Warrington would have free passage over the crossing.
“It wasn’t a promise but a clear comment made days before the Election.
“The Tory candidate for Warrington South publicly welcomed the commitment of free passage and was subsequently re-elected. We will never know how many electors chose to exercise their vote influenced by the Chancellor’s commitment.
“The recent announcement by government that it had to reconsider because of a legal challenge is another example of deceitful smoke and mirrors. As far as I understand no local council has considered such legal action.
“Warrington businesses and residents deserve to know the truth and I call upon the government to reinstate free passage across the crossings. After all, this is what was the original commitment.”
*Conservative candidate David Mowat won the Warrington South seat with 25,928 votes to Labour Nick Bent’s 23,178 – a majority of 2,750.
The late Cllr Terry O'Neill
Council leader’s fury over Mersey bridge U-turn
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5 Comments
David Mowat’s excuses recently offered for Warrington motorists not now having toll free use of the two Mersey bridges are frankly unforgivable. And those offered by George Osborne are shameful.
Positron, you are showing your political colours here. I am sure Mr Mowat is as disappointed as the rest of us and I am sure that when he announced that Warrington residents would not have to pay the toll he really believed it. After all, he had been told as much by the then Chancellor! In any case, I doubt if it had much bearing on the way people voted – the over-riding issue was Europe and the referendum. And we know how Warrington voted on that!
I have no particular political leanings or affiliations, save to say expecting (perhaps naively) our politicians to work for the collective benefit of those they purport to represent, whatever the colour of their rosettes. My adverse comments on both Mowat and Osborne were not prompted by how people voted, nor the Brexit vs Remain issue, but rather that both individuals unabashedly (no ifs nor buts) stated Warrington motorists would have free (untolled) access to the two Mersey bridges. Now they are distancing themselves from those often stated undertakings. That is not showing “my political colours” it is holding politicians to account.
But should a politician, or anyone else for that matter, be held to account for stating something which at the time he or she believed to be true? You may have a point about Osborne but surely the worst Mowat can be accused of is being a little unwise to believe what he had been told and then repeat it? But the only way anyone can avoid falling into that trap is not to say anything to anyone about anything!
Are you now not showing your political colours? David Mowat, Parliamentary Under Secretary of State at the Department of Health; was not some obedient underling MP toeing, in trepidation, the party line when he made those baseless claims of toll free access for Warrington drivers. He had a position, albeit a junior one, in the government. Moreover, he was the more strident of the two MPs giving that undertaking at the time. As for “not say[ing] anything to anyone about anything”, how about more of the truth and less of electioneering post truths? If our politicians engaged us with that level of debate they would not debase themselves as much as they presently do, by promising the earth and failing to deliver.