The Front Page - Copy 67 ( Gwyn Prosser speaking in The House, Further snow worries with classic pic.)
10 February 2010
From the sublime above,
This is a masterful shot above. It was taken by Doverforum member Paul 'Scotchie' Wells on Walmer Beach on thursday morning. Just by looking at this shot you can taste the salt spray in the air and feel the biting wind. The picture looks towards Kingsdown and really is a joy to see. Someone had to be hardy enough to venture out on thursday morning into the teeth of that frostbitten gale.. and Scotchie was the man for the job. The result is a great painterly shot of a beach that yours truly has never seen, never mind been on. Very pleasant mood picture and a real winner. Must defintely make a note to go there...in less trying circumstances perhaps!
The picture on the left shows the other side of the coin. Every time there is a little sprinkling of snow the traffic situation collapses into total nightmare here in Dover. Many of our readers and members alike were trapped in their cars in the snow for hours the other night..4 hours, 5 hours in some cases.A truly horrific experience.
See the "Shiver me Timbers" thread in the Members Club for further detail. It is clear, despite the official line, that gritting is virtually non-existent..result: chaos. If you've had a miserable experience let us know below. PB.
The Port of Dover and the House of Commons.
The House was uproariously exciteable on wednesday. With election fever in the air, near frenzied and highly animated MP's on all sides, roared and guffawed in equal measure at Prime Minister's Questions. Little Johnny Bercow, The Speaker, called for less noise " There's far too much noise" said he. But nobody paid much attention, as the highly vociferous bear-baiting went on. "Yes indeed, there's far too much noise, one cant hear".. said the BBC viewer languishing down in darkest Kent, but nobody was listening to him either. The feverish Punch and Judy verbosity continued at full throttle ... while the sanguine commentators of the BBC wondered, is Bercow losing control of the situation?
In the midst of all this uproar, our long standing Labour MP, Gwyn Prosser, rose to his feet...
Gwyn Prosser: " The Trust Port of Dover is the busiest ferry port in the world. I’ve sailed out of it for 12 years and represented it for the last 13 years. What can the Prime Minister say today to dispel the fabrications and fables being spun by Dover’s carpet-bagging Conservative candidate that the Government is hell-bent on selling Dover to the highest bidder and the highest bid might come from the French?"
Much uproar from animated backbenchers at the mention of the Carbet-Bagging Conservative Candidate...the decibel level was exceeded...which brought an admonishment of sorts from Little Johnny to both Gwyn, and the baying Conservatives. "There's far too much noise!" said Johnny Bercow yet again, directing his words at the Conservatives, but like that famous Biblical seed, it fell on stoney ground. Gwyn sat down and the Prime Minister rose up, expanded his chest to its full potential, reached out in a gesture towards Gwyn, and tried to answer through the wall of noise...
Prime Minister: " It is the Honourable Gentleman, the Member for Dover, who has been a great champion for Dover and its people and I know he wants the best for the people of Dover including a flourishing port; and I share that aspiration. There will be no forced privatisation of Dover under Labour and we will look for new ways of getting in new investment into the port and the community. "
There you are...out of the mouth of the Prime Minister himself.
PB.
Speaking afterwards Gwyn Prosser said:
“Most of my constituents have already dismissed the rubbish that my Tory opponent has been pedalling. They don’t want a wealthy tax lawyer living in opulent Belgravia lecturing them on the future of their port. So firstly, I wanted to scotch his fabricated fables about Government pressing to privatise once and for all and the Prime Minister’s answer has done just that.
“And secondly, I’ve always argued that Dover Harbour Board could attract new investment without selling to the highest bidder and enriching the Directors. Gordon Brown has now confirmed this to be the case and he told Parliament that he’s looking at new ways of getting investment into Dover”
“When Dover Harbour Board first volunteered to privatise the port I reminded them that they didn’t have the support of the community and I predicted that their application would not be allowed under Labour – I am now more confident than ever that my prediction will prove correct”
"Everyone knows the port is being sold off as a "voluntary" privatisation under huge pressure from the Government. And we all know this is being warmly welcomed by Gordon Brown as he stuffs his car boot full of assets to flog off just as fast as he can. It's not "forced" but we all know what's really going on. And everyone can see that Gordon Brown today confirmed it's all going ahead regardless. Nothing has changed.
"Mr Prosser's statement is calculated to mislead. He is not being straight with us. He makes a serious error of judgement in playing us all for fools.
"My position is clear. I fight for the English border to remain owned by the nation. And fight against Gordon Brown's plan to sell off our port just as soon as he can.
"Carpetbagging? How ridiculous! I don't go on about how Mr Prosser is from Wales. As it happens, my family has hailed from Kent these past 500 years and I live in Deal. And I pay for my housing, my food and my furniture while we all know Mr Prosser claimed on expenses for his two homes in London."
From the sublime above,
to the ridiculous on the left!
This is a masterful shot above. It was taken by Doverforum member Paul 'Scotchie' Wells on Walmer Beach on thursday morning. Just by looking at this shot you can taste the salt spray in the air and feel the biting wind. The picture looks towards Kingsdown and really is a joy to see. Someone had to be hardy enough to venture out on thursday morning into the teeth of that frostbitten gale.. and Scotchie was the man for the job. The result is a great painterly shot of a beach that yours truly has never seen, never mind been on. Very pleasant mood picture and a real winner. Must defintely make a note to go there...in less trying circumstances perhaps!
The picture on the left shows the other side of the coin. Every time there is a little sprinkling of snow the traffic situation collapses into total nightmare here in Dover. Many of our readers and members alike were trapped in their cars in the snow for hours the other night..4 hours, 5 hours in some cases.A truly horrific experience.
See the "Shiver me Timbers" thread in the Members Club for further detail. It is clear, despite the official line, that gritting is virtually non-existent..result: chaos. If you've had a miserable experience let us know below. PB.
The Port of Dover and the House of Commons.
Now Added -Late additions below!
In the midst of all this uproar, our long standing Labour MP, Gwyn Prosser, rose to his feet...
Gwyn Prosser: " The Trust Port of Dover is the busiest ferry port in the world. I’ve sailed out of it for 12 years and represented it for the last 13 years. What can the Prime Minister say today to dispel the fabrications and fables being spun by Dover’s carpet-bagging Conservative candidate that the Government is hell-bent on selling Dover to the highest bidder and the highest bid might come from the French?"
Much uproar from animated backbenchers at the mention of the Carbet-Bagging Conservative Candidate...the decibel level was exceeded...which brought an admonishment of sorts from Little Johnny to both Gwyn, and the baying Conservatives. "There's far too much noise!" said Johnny Bercow yet again, directing his words at the Conservatives, but like that famous Biblical seed, it fell on stoney ground. Gwyn sat down and the Prime Minister rose up, expanded his chest to its full potential, reached out in a gesture towards Gwyn, and tried to answer through the wall of noise...
Prime Minister: " It is the Honourable Gentleman, the Member for Dover, who has been a great champion for Dover and its people and I know he wants the best for the people of Dover including a flourishing port; and I share that aspiration. There will be no forced privatisation of Dover under Labour and we will look for new ways of getting in new investment into the port and the community. "
There you are...out of the mouth of the Prime Minister himself.
PB.
Added Latest........
Speaking afterwards Gwyn Prosser said:
“Most of my constituents have already dismissed the rubbish that my Tory opponent has been pedalling. They don’t want a wealthy tax lawyer living in opulent Belgravia lecturing them on the future of their port. So firstly, I wanted to scotch his fabricated fables about Government pressing to privatise once and for all and the Prime Minister’s answer has done just that.
“And secondly, I’ve always argued that Dover Harbour Board could attract new investment without selling to the highest bidder and enriching the Directors. Gordon Brown has now confirmed this to be the case and he told Parliament that he’s looking at new ways of getting investment into Dover”
“When Dover Harbour Board first volunteered to privatise the port I reminded them that they didn’t have the support of the community and I predicted that their application would not be allowed under Labour – I am now more confident than ever that my prediction will prove correct”
The Charlie Elphicke responder....
"Everyone knows the port is being sold off as a "voluntary" privatisation under huge pressure from the Government. And we all know this is being warmly welcomed by Gordon Brown as he stuffs his car boot full of assets to flog off just as fast as he can. It's not "forced" but we all know what's really going on. And everyone can see that Gordon Brown today confirmed it's all going ahead regardless. Nothing has changed.
"Mr Prosser's statement is calculated to mislead. He is not being straight with us. He makes a serious error of judgement in playing us all for fools.
"My position is clear. I fight for the English border to remain owned by the nation. And fight against Gordon Brown's plan to sell off our port just as soon as he can.
"Carpetbagging? How ridiculous! I don't go on about how Mr Prosser is from Wales. As it happens, my family has hailed from Kent these past 500 years and I live in Deal. And I pay for my housing, my food and my furniture while we all know Mr Prosser claimed on expenses for his two homes in London."
- It was the noisiest PMQs i've seen! Where does Mr. Elphicke live in deal? i've never seen him, and you have to question why a London tax lawyer would live so far away from his job.