UKIP Eastern Counties
Stuart Agnew in the East Anglian Daily Times
Monday, 10th October 2011
Stuart Agnew MEP
15 July 2011
"I am appalled by the Government’s decision to close the coastguard stations at Walton on the Naze and Great Yarmouth. This thoughtless, blundering approach to cost-cutting plays Russian roulette with people’s lives. The East Anglian coastline supports a very considerable leisure industry, much of which revolves around activities out on the water. The huge gap in coastguard coverage between the Humber and Dover is simply unacceptable," writes Stuart Agnew MEP in his letter published in the East Anglian Daily Times.
"I find the Government’s penny pinching on this vital service even more unconscionable when I keep reading about all the money it is quite happy to lavish on propping up other countries. It has committed the British taxpayer to £7 billion for bailing out Portugal and a further £3 billion contribution to bailing out Ireland. On top of this, the Government has agreed an increase in the overseas aid budget of some £3.5 billion by 2012. Our overseas aid budget this year will top £9 billion. We continue to send overseas aid to India which has a space programme and whose economy is expected to grow by 9 per cent next year. Would that we could boast such growth! We have also doubled our aid to Pakistan this year, to an eye watering £450 million."
"Haggling is underway over the EU’s budget for the period 2014-2020. The European Commission wants an increase of 5 per cent to one trillion euros (£887 billion). Mr Cameron is posturing about rejecting this but will ultimately have to cave-in and swallow the increase. One can only look on in amazement at the Government’s reckless spending priorities. Which would you rather spend taxpayers’ money on? Propping up other countries and subsidising Brussels or keeping our coastguard stations open?"
"What is wrong with putting Britain first?," concludes Mr Angew.
