Monday 2 June 2008

Dear Gordon 2

I hope I find you well.
There are just a couple of issues I want to draw your attention to today. It must be very difficult being PM with all that conflicting advice coming your way. On the subject of advice I was wondering who had been advising you on the use of Podcasts and You Tube because your podcast for the last local elections was awful. I’m such a geek I actually watched it. My friend was standing as a Labour candidate. If you do a You Tube search for your name it comes up with some less than complimentary sites and although your recent presentations have been a little better I think perhaps you should leave this kind of stuff to Cameron. I don’t want to watch him pretending to be washing up and pontificating about national politics.
My second point is nearer to home. I live in Sandwell in the West Midlands. The midland links motorway runs through our borough and at times we suffer some of the worst traffic snarl ups in the UK. The M6 toll road was designed to ease traffic flow on our bit of the M6 but because of high cost of using this road heavy goods vehicles rarely use the toll. With the current high cost of fuel and the waste of driver time I can’t see the economic sense of doing this. In Sandwell we have several neighbourhoods who have air pollution levels at the stage where they need attention. Some areas are known locally as the Asthma triangle. One of the reasons for this in my view is the tail backs in traffic at peak times. Would it be possible for the three local authorities concerned and central government to negotiate with the company running the M6 Toll to allow heavy goods vehicles to use the toll free at peak times and for all other vehicles to use it at reduced rates? This would have a series of value factors. It would reduce pollution in the Black Country, reduce fuel consumption hence helping to stabilise fuel prices and it would reduce journey times for everyone using our motorways.
On a lighter note, it must be very gratifying knowing that your home sec thinks you’re cool. Don’t you lot have fun at cabinet meetings.
Have a nice week
Yours very sincerely
Bob the Black Country Brummie

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