News from Surrey Labour

Surrey Heath Labour attacks “absentee MP” Michael Gove

Surrey Heath Labour Party are asking serious questions about MP Michael Gove’s commitment to his constituents in the borough. The main opposition Party in the borough points to the high profile that fellow Conservative Minister, Aldershot MP Gerald Howarth maintains, with regularly advertised surgeries.

In contrast, Michael Gove has no publicised surgeries. If he meets his constituents, the meetings have to take place at Conservative Offices at Windlesham. This puts contact out of reach for many of the people he represents without a car.

Murray Rowlands, Chair of Surrey County Labour Party said: “It seems as though Mr Gove is either unwilling to meet his constituents or does not think representing their interests is an important part of his work as a Constituency MP. Labour have even identified (to Mr Gove’s agent, without any response) an address in the centre of Camberley close to public transport, which would be suitable for his surgeries. There also remains uncertainty whether he has followed his undertaking to move into Surrey Heath, which might explain his difficulty in making contact with his electors.

“Nor is there much consistency in the way he tackles vital issues in Surrey Heath. Despite requests for action on the deplorable state of Camberley Station, and letters to Transport Minister Philip Hammond, there has been no improvement in the state of the station. The unanimous decision of Surrey Heath Council to improve the station appears to have been ignored. Over Crabtree Park and the garden grabbing issue, Michael Gove appears to face two ways at the same time. Despite his undertaking to prevent the closure of The Nationwide in Bagshot, it still closed.

“When people are forced to sleep rough in the Borough, and there has been a 50% increase in homelessness here, there is a desperate need for a proactive MP on issues such as this and fuel poverty.”

Other news from Surrey Labour

• Newly appointed Chief Constable set to speak to Surrey Labour Parties - 20 February 2012
• Surrey Heath Tories forced into climb down on community meals - 12 January 2012
• Concern grows about pressure on schools to become Academies by "ideological" Gove - 8 January 2012