WORKINGTON MP Mark Jenkinson has blasted Labour hypocrisy after three of its parliamentary candidates have launched a campaign to protect the local bus services which their party has decimated.
The trio, all from outside the area, have sought to blame the Government for a decline in local services.
The claims come despite record levels of investment awarded by the Department for Transport to local authorities to support bus links – money that Labour councils in Cumbria have failed to use and have even given back.
Labour-led Cumberland Council has so far refused to accept the Government bus funding available – £1.6m on top of the £929,468 already allocated.
The local authority is also still consulting on how best to use central Government funding from the Bus Service Improvement Plan Plus (BSIP+).
However, this would indicate that it is unlikely to do anything with this money before April, and that it still does not have a clear transport strategy.
Cumberland Council took over on 1st April 2023, but had a year as a Shadow Authority during which time they only met a handful of times [six].
Mark Jenkinson MP said: “If Labour were more willing to select local candidates, they would perhaps understand the real cause of problems with our bus services.
“The blame lies not with the Government, which has invested billions in this. Rather, it lies with Cumberland’s Labour-led councils which has failed to seize the funding opportunities laid out on a plate for them.
“One of the parliamentary hopefuls sits at the top table on Cumberland Council. It would be more to the point if he prevailed upon his colleagues to make use of these these generous offers rather than seeking to blame the Government for the local authority’s failure to act.
“Local government reform was about giving councils greater powers, but they cannot force them to take the initiative. The Government has taken the proverbial horse to water: they cannot make it drink.
“Cumberland council has been afforded ample opportunity to make use of the considerable funding through the Conservative Government’s Bus Service Improvement Plan (BSIP+) to improve, subsidise and revive bus services across Cumberland.
“Even putting their three heads together, these Labour parliamentary candidates haven’t been able to come up one original idea of their own. I launched my own petition to protect our bus services in May of last year.
“It seems there is no bus or bandwagon upon which they won’t jump on, though in parts of Cumbria they would struggle to catch either as a result of their party’s failure at a local level to support these services.
“I know that many in the Workington Constituency and the wider West Cumbria rely on buses in their daily lives, whether that's for shopping, medical appointments or simply socialising.
“Labour should get its own house in order and develop a sustainable transport strategy in Cumberland – making use of the powers and considerable Government support they receive to improve bus services for my constituents.
I'm clear, bus funding should go towards reviving cancelled services, extending existing services at either end of the day or into weekends, increasing frequency, and supporting those routes which are at risk of closure.
“The Government has done its bit. It is over to Cumberland to deliver.”
Mark wrote to Councillor Denise Rollo, Executive Member - Sustainable, Resilient and Connected Place in October, urging Cumberland Council to make good use of the considerable funding provided through the Government’s Bus Service Improvement Plan (BSIP+) allocations.
The letter had been prompted by the significant uplift in bus funding being provided to Cumberland Council which they have so far refused to spend.
Historically, its predecessor Cumbria County Council – also Labour led – has given thousands back to the Treasury, leading to the cancellation of several local services which could otherwise have been saved.
The Government has announced £300 million worth of investment to protect bus services into 2025 and keep travel affordable.
Of this £300 million, £160 million will be provided to local transport authorities to improve fares, services, and infrastructure while £140 million will go directly to operators to help protect essential services across England.
