Accrington Web - Greg Pope's Fishy Tale...

So then, what do we honestly expect of our erstwhile elected representative? I would have thought to further the cause of 'Hyndburn', to reasonably assist his constituents and as a backbench MP, to support the government while at the same time to check and balance any possible abuse of it's power. He is free to speak on all the great issues of the day; foreign policy, the economy, the defence of the realm, health, education, welfare, crime and punishment. All are under his remit.
On what topic, you may ask, has the great Mr Pope chosen to speak out ? The topic that is first and foremost upon the concerns of the people of our Borough.

Yes, you've guessed it: THE WELFARE OF GOLDFISH.

I quote direct from todays Telegraph:

"Mr Pope said: "I am disappointed. I was rather taken by the idea of banning goldfish as fairground prizes. Many of them would be taken home and as soon as the novelty wore off, got rid of.

"They are tiny defenceless animals and should not be handed over in plastic bags to small children as prizes from a fairground stall. The Government should have stuck to its guns.''

But Mr Evans hit back: "This is the nanny state at its worst. Giving a small child a goldfish to look after gives them responsibility. They will start with caring for a goldfish and move on to something else.

"What difference does having a 16-year-old there make?

"The Government has gone part of the way by getting rid of some of this silly idea and should now go the whole way and dump it altogether. Who would police this?

"Greg and whoever thought up this idea are just being ridiculous.''

Final details of the compromise have still to be agreed by ministers but opponents of a total ban are confident it will go through.

Other measures in the Bill, including extending a duty of care to all animals kept by humans and forbidding the docking of dogs' tails, will remain in the proposals."

By the way, mr Pope is hosting the Hyndburnlite forum a week this evening. I have no doubt that any of you who succeed in accessing that pile of junk may wish to congratulate Mr Pope on his sense of priorties.