Date: 27 August 2007

Mark Harper MP Visits Moorlands

Conservative MP for Forest of Dean is Welcomed by Karen Bradley PPC for the Moorlands

The Conservative MP for the Forest of Dean, Mark Harper, took time out of his summer break to visit Staffordshire Moorlands this week. Mark was guest speaker at a lunch at the Black Horse in Endon to launch the new Brown Edge and Endon Branch of Staffordshire Moorlands Conservative Association. Brown Edge and Endon is one of the wards that joins Staffordshire Moorlands as part of the boundary changes that will apply at the next General Election.

Mark was welcomed by the Prospective Parliamentary Candidate, Karen Bradley and Leader of Staffordshire Moorlands District Council, Sybil Ralph MBE.

Karen said:

“Following the boundary changes becoming law earlier in the summer, we have been keen to hold an event to launch a new branch in Brown Edge and Endon and Mark’s visit seemed like the perfect opportunity.”

Mr Harper, who is a Shadow Minister in the Work and Pensions team, spoke for ten minutes and then took questions, many of which focused on the situation with Remploy, the provider of employment services for disabled people, which has announced that 43 of its sites will close or merge, including the Newcastle-under-Lyme site.

Karen added:

“Mark was able to answer many people’s concerns about the Remploy situation and explained the impact of the merger on those directly affected.”

Pictured (left to right), Cllr Sybil Ralph MBE, Cllr Patrick Burker, Mark Harper MP, Cllr Arthur Forrester, Karen Bradley, Cllr Barbara Hughes, Cllr Stephen Ellis and Cllr Gill Heath,