AN MP has issued a Christmas message in which he speaks of his desire to see a new bypass for Shipley and the break-up of the Bradford district.

Shipley MP Philip Davies thanked his constituents re-electing him, adding : "I know many life-long Labour voters switched and at this election gave me their vote for the first time and I want to assure them I will work tirelessly to justify the faith they have placed in me."

The Conservative MP said: "I will continue to press for the much-needed Shipley Eastern Bypass and step up the campaign to leave Bradford Council and form an authority for the Shipley and Keighley constituencies. Breaking away from Bradford would allow us to take control of money raised from our council tax and ensure local decisions are taken more locally.

"I will continue to push for more police officers on our streets and extra cash for schools."

On a solemn note, he said: "Let us take a moment to remember those who have loved lost ones, who are suffering or are alone. Let us also spare a thought for all those who are working over Christmas, whether it is volunteering, our NHS workers, Police, or other emergency services, who are giving up their time to ensure the happiness or safety of others.

"We should also remember the brave men and women in our Armed Forces serving abroad who will be away from family and friends this Christmas.

"It is a tremendous honour to represent the Shipley constituency and again in 2020 I will continue to do all I can to hold Government to account, ensure I keep the promises I made during the election and strive to give my constituents the best possible service. It has been a privilege to visit many businesses, charities, schools and other organisations in the past year and I look forward to seeing many more of you in the New Year."

  • On the proposal to break-up the Bradford district, Bradford Council's Labour leader Susan Hinchcliffe recently stated: "Philip Davies' tired campaign to split the district is just a recycled political stunt. Government isn’t interested. It’s completely impractical. There is no legislation to make it happen. He’s trying to distract from the real problem, a Tory Government which, for 10 years now, has cut councils’ budgets by half and choked the public services we all rely on."