Conference backs call for Electrification of Midland Mainline
Two Liberal Democrat members from Hinckley and Bosworth succesfully got the East Midlands Liberal Democrats conference to back a motion, unanimously, supporting the electrification of the East Midlands Mainline that travels through Leicester and the rest of the East Midlands.
Hinckley Lib Dem County Councillor Michael Mullaney proposed the motion he said "Electrification of the East Midlands Mainline would mean cleaner, greener, faster trains for commuters here in Leicestershire and the rest of the East Midlands.
"The very week the Conservative government announced electrification of the Midlands Mainline would not be taking place in Leicestershire they announced £30 billion extra for Crossrail for London and the South East. People in Leicestershire are sick to the back teeth of all the infrastructure money being poured into London and the South East and so little coming here in Leicestershire and the rest of the Midlands.
"Our area needs improved public transport to boost the economy and to provide better public transport for local residents. On top of electrification of the Midland Mainline we should also see more frequent trains through Hinckley, a train every thirty minutes instead of hourly as at present. People in Leicesterhsire elected Consevrative MPs and Conservative councils it's time the Conservative government delivered the high-quality public transport our county deserves."
Seconding the motion Bosworth Lib Dem Vice Chair Mathew Hulbert said "I'm very pleased this motion was passed unanimously. If the Tories can find £1bn for infrastructure in Northern Ireland, to secure the votes of the DUP to keep the present Government in office, they should be able to find the money to keep their promises to voters in our region and ensure electrification. Why aren't the Tory MPs from across the Midlands, including our own, forcing the Government's hand on this? Who speaks for the Midlands in this administration? We Liberal Democrats, at every level of Government, will continue to call for the Government to do what it needs to do to meet the country's transport infrastructure needs and to ensure that infrastructure helps to reduce our impact on the earth's climate.''