John Bridge, Chairman of Opportunity Peterborough, comments on recent media stories about immigration issues in Peterborough. Broadcast at 07:10 on Wednesday 14th April 2010 in the Paul Stainton Breakfast Show on BBC Radio Peterborough.
STAINTON: The Chairman of Opportunity Peterborough has criticised two city councillors for expressing their concern about the effect of immigration in Peterborough. You may have seen the stories in the newspapers at the weekend. Independent councillors Charlie Swift and Keith Sharp wrote to the leaders of the three main parties to tell them about the effect of EU migration in the North Ward. We covered the story way back in January, but it’s just featured in a range of national newspapers in recent days. Councillor Swift spoke to Radio Cambridgeshire yesterday. (TAPE)
SWIFT: Well I told them in no uncertain manner how my ward .. I’ve represented this ward for fifty six years, I’m very proud of the fact .. but I’ve seen it, not only this area but the areas adjacent to us, deteriorate. We’re waiting now, we’ve got about forty or fifty vacancies at the school round the corner, no places for children to go. We’re having to reopen schools that were closed only a few years ago because they said we haven’t got enough pupils. And I don’t think they realise that at the same time they’re talking about making drastic cuts in public expenditure, that it’s just not on. Because we’ve got all these extra pressures that are coming in. And there’s nothing racialist about it, they do not realise the effect at this present time, that all these extra bodies that we’ve got, on the health service, is creating. (LIVE) Continue reading “John Bridge on Immigration”