Influencing Europe and East of England Trains

ANDREW DUFF

In November EurActiv, the Brussels based news organisation, conducted a poll to find the 40 Brits most influential in EU affairs.

Liberal Democrat MEP for East of England, Andrew Duff, came in tenth, just one place behind David Cameron and one place in front of William Hague. See more here http://www.euractiv.com/UK40

EURO FINANCIAL CRISIS

 In his pamphlet, "on Governing Europe", Andrew writes about how the EU has managed the financial crisis and sets out an ambitious agenda of what has to be done to resolve it. Andrew identifies the lack of real economic government at the European level as the the key element in restoring stability and growth. Controversially, he argues that if the UK does not want to be part of the emerging banking and fiscal union, it should stand aside and let its partners proceed.

Copies of "On Governing Europe" can be downloaded from http://www.policy-network.net/publications_detail.aspx?ID=4257

RAILWAYS

Liberal Democrats have been arguing across the years since Dr Beeching's railway cuts for increased investment in our region. Work on the line north of Hitchin on a flyover to Cambridge and King's Lynn is advancing fast. Upgrades are taking place to stations and electrification east of Oxford, and eventually to Bicester and Bedford. This is leading to pressure supported by Lib Dem Mayor of Bedford, Dave Hodgson, for a link to be built via Sandy to the East Coast Main Line - thereby resurrecting the possibility of train travel between the two great University cities.

Further works in our region include faster trains from Norwich to Ely and Peterborough, a new loop at Ely. Hopes are raised for greener electric trains, rather than diesel. Improvements at Felixstowe, a major refurbishment at Peterborough station, Sandy and Biggleswade stations are being enlarged; frequency of services between Ipswich and Lowestoft is doubling; a new station at Chesterton; a new junction at Kings Coss to start in the spring to link trains from Cambridge and Huntingdon to Thameslink.

Concerns are that ticket pricing is over-complicated, and in some cases too high; over-crowding on trains is common place. Local action groups can influence decision making with this train friendly government. We must insist that nothing big happens at Stansted Airport, unless the railway to Liverpool Street is modernised and enhanced, and a railway towards  Braintree is built. The East of England, as ever, has to fight its corner against the rival attraction of HS2 and the worthy but incredibly costly London Cosssrail.

To contact Andrew Duff visit his web site http://andrewduff.eu/en/