Bringing Aycliffe Business Park Together | 25
Stockton South MP James Wharton during
his infamous visit to the Hitachi site
Politicians of all sides gathered for Vince Cable’s visit
in November 2013. The Business Secretary is pictured
here with our MP Phil Wilson.
,
So after the Mr Wharton’s encroachment, an
aggrieved Phil Wilson did what politicians do,
and complained in Parliament. Consequently,
the Speaker spoke, and the belligerent was
rebuked.
“If he (Mr Wharton) took part in the visit, I think
he must know what the logic of that is, said the
”
former Tory MP John Bercow, almost refereeing
the two MPs. “I would appeal to Members,
particularly at this sensitive time in the run-up
to a General Election, to observe the spirit of
the convention about prior notification. Let’s try
to behave in a way that the public would think
seemly.
”
Mr Wharton could consider himself told off, but
what of the watching public and the story as a
whole?
If the electorate was inclined to follow the
minor details and machinations of what is said
in Parliament, the feuding duo look a little like
naughty schoolboys – one of them almost
teasing enough to garner a reaction from the
other who felt irked enough to tell ‘Sir’. Neither
of them coming out of it drenched in glory.
It’s a classic case of politicians getting so far
lost in politics that they forget why they are
there in the first place – to be a voice for their
constituents and a servant to their party.
James Wharton’s constituents are not in the
immediate vicinity of Hitachi, and the majority of
Phil Wilson’s constituents have probably never
heard of the Stockton South MP and vice-versa.
As fascinating as politics can be when these
kind of arguments flare up, the most important
thing in all of this is that Hitachi really are
coming to Aycliffe and the electorate doesn’t
really