WARRRINGTON South MP David Mowat had talks with LiveWire chiefs today to discuss the future of the borough’s libraries.
LiveWire board member Paul Taylor and managing director Emma Hutchinson met the MP who has expressed broad support for the principle of combining libraries with other leisure facilities but was concerned about gaps in coverage in South Warrington – particularly Lymm.
Many residents of South Warrington have expressed similar concerns during the consultation process and the MP was assured these comments would be fed into the consultation report to be presented to the borough council.
Full consideration would be given to access to library provision for communities across the town before any decisions were made, he was told.
Mr Taylor and Ms Hutchinson thanked Mr Mowat for his input during the library consultation and talked about opportunities to work with him in the future as Warrington South MP and also in his role as a Minister for the Department of Health.
Mr Mowat said: “I had a productive meeting with LiveWire and I am encouraged that they are taking the responses received during the consultation into consideration as part of their report to the council.
“I hope that LiveWire will present a set of revised proposals that will reverse the decline in library usage across the borough but the proof of the pudding will be in the eating.”
Mr Taylor said: “We had a very productive meeting with David Mowat and welcomed the opportunity to talk to him about the future of library services in his constituency.
“We look forward to working closely with Mr Mowat in the future to ensure we can improve access to reading and learning services for all residents across the town and also working more closely with him in his role as a minister who is responsible for health services.
“We also approached the MP for Warrington North, Helen Jones to arrange a meeting to give her the opportunity to present her views on the library services in her constituency once the consultation started, but unfortunately she has declined to meet with us.
“We are concerned that without talking to her we are missing out on the opportunity to have a productive conversation about the consultation and the future of Warrington’s libraries and the effects of any of the proposed changes on her constituency.”
Helen Jones said: “LiveWire did not attempt to talk to me prior to announcing their plans. They only thought of doing so after they started to get bad publicity about what they intended to do.
“I have made it clear to LiveWire that I am not willing to negotiate about closing libraries in my constituency. I told their chief executive that I will not meet her until the plans are withdrawn. Therefore it is in her own hands. I am here to represent my constituents. I do not jump when an unelected and unaccountable body tells me to do so.”
6 Comments
So Helen says “I do not jump when an unelected and unaccountable body tells me to do so.”…. but she is in favour of staying in the EU???
It seems David Mowat is like minded on remaining in the EU, as is one J Corbyn. There are some strange and strained bedfellows in our politics at all levels.
Dear Helen – I think you will find Paul Taylor is one of your elected constituents so when he says jump – maybe you should listen!
You have a public duty to look after the best interests of our town – not use it as a political football. Your duty is represent every person and organisation in your constituency – if you are not prepred to sit down and talk with them – you are not actually fit for office!
It would have been better to have asked our wonderful MP why his government is making further cuts to north west councils while at the same time backing HS2.
It would have also been appropriate to ask why his government is allowing corporate tax evasion.
It’s ironic that whilst we are under threat of the proposed destruction of our library services, online booksellers AMAZON are operating tax free.
It would be equally appropriate to ask why his government is allowing a scandalous waste of taxpayers’ money to be frittered away on inappropriate and risible overseas aids projects in order to tick the right boxes, and in so doing permit those distributing this misplaced largesse to be paid excessive salaries/bonuses.