MPs SLATE MIDLAND RED
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Anti -CTAs campaign 'gross impertinence'
AFULL-SCALE campaign against the anti-nationalization activities of Midland Red and its general manager, Mr. J. W. Womar, has been launched by Mr. John Horner, Labour MP for Oldbury and Halesowen, supported by other Midland and Northern MPs.
The campaign embraces a letter to the Warley Trades Council, a motion in Parliament, and a question to the Transport Minister.
The MPs are furious that the general manager of Midland Red should be taking a lead in the campaign against PTAs when the company itself is half public-owned.
Said Mr. Homer in his letter to the Trades Council last week: "I write to you to direct the attention of the Council to the activities of Mr. Womar, general manager of the Midland Red. Mr. Womar has been appointed chairman of a recently formed anti-nationalization group of West Midland bus authorities, and is about to launch a public campaign directed against the Minister of Transport's proposals.
"It would seem that the campaign's object is to whip up public opposition against what Mr. Womar has called Barbara Castle's backdoor nationalization of public transport.
"Such a campaign is not only a gross
distortion—coming from Midland Red for which, in my constituency, I have never heard a good word spoken, it is a colossal impertinence. What sort of people does Mr. Womar think those weary bus queues are composed of?
"It may not be known to all the delegates to your Trades Council that the British Transport Holding Co., which is a Government corporation, actually owns no less than half the shares of the Midland Red", Mr. Horner said.
Mr. Homer asked Mrs. Castle to "take powers to prevent passenger transport undertakings conducting propaganda campaigns against HM Government's transport policies".
The day after the question was published, nine other Labour MPs tabled a motion inviting the Commons to condemn the Midland Red action.
The motion also asked the Commons to congratulate Mrs. Castle on her efforts to modify the "outdated road passenger transport legislation of the 1930s".
The MPs who issued this motion were Mr. Leslie Huckfield (Nuneaton), Mr. Andrew Paulds (Smethwick), Mr. William Price (Rugby), Mr. Donald Chapman (Birmingham Northfield), Mr. William Wilson (Coventry South), Mr. Christopher Price (Birmingham Perry Barr), Mr. Gerry Fowler (The Wrekin), Mr. J. D. Concannon (Mansfield) and Mr. Stanley Orme (West Salford).
In the Commons on Wednesday Mr. Stephen Swingler, joint Parliamentary Secretary, gave a plain "No" to a request by Mr. Homer for Ministry powers to stop p.s.v. undertakings indulging in campaigns against Government policy.