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John Leech MP: "Tory Think Tank Proposal is an Insult to the North"

12.00.00am BST (GMT +0100) Sat 16th Aug 2008

Local Liberal Democrat MP, John Leech, has described as "ridiculous" a call by a Conservative-leaning think tank for people from towns and cities of the North to pack their bags and move to the South.

Policy Exchange, which was set up by Michael Gove who is now a senior Conservative MP, has been described as David Cameron's favourite think tank in the media. Their report claimed many towns and cities in the North were failing and regeneration would not save them.

John Leech MP criticised the conclusions of the report:

"The idea that people should abandon the North and move to the already crowded South East, where house prices and living costs are sky high, is an insult to people living here."

"I am staggered that a think tank so close to the Conservatives is making such a call. I am appalled that they are saying that large swathes of the North can simply be abandoned."

"Here in Manchester Withington the battle is between Liberal Democrats and Labour at the next general election. Everyone knows that the Conservatives cannot win here."

John concluded:

"What the Policy Exchange has done is to highlight the lack of understanding many Conservatives have of the North and to show that they are too weak here to be taken seriously."

<Ends>

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Previous news story: £3.75 Million Spent by Manchester Council on 1.6 Million Taxi Journeys (Thu 14th Aug 2008).
Next news story: Use Casino Site to Replicate Cycling Success for Other Sports, say Manchester Lib Dems (Wed 20th Aug 2008).

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