Protests over Sea Defences
Story Date 20th August 2008.
Story Submitted 20th August 2008.
Protests over sea defences near Gordon Brown’s holiday home
The Telegraph. Last Updated: 3:01pm BST 30/07/2008
Campaigners who want more money spent on sea defences have targeted Gordon Brown while he is on holiday.
About 500 people formed a human chain to highlight the impact of erosion in a seaside town close to the Prime Minister’s holiday home.
Mr Brown, his wife Sarah and sons John, four, and Fraser, two, are taking a break near Southwold, Suffolk, after leaving London on Saturday. Sue Allen, chairman of the Blyth Estuary Group, said:
"It’s ironic, really. He has come to this beautiful area and yet the Government says they haven’t got the funds to protect it.
"We really want him to enjoy his holiday because it’s a lovely area. But we want him to come back in 20 years’ time and find we’ve still got a harbour and a £30 million–a–year tourism industry."
Protesters say Defra is proposing to stop spending money on flood defences in the Blyth estuary. They say such a move could lead to beaches in the Southwold area being washed away. Some of the protesters, who linked arms and chanted "SOS", held a banner saying: "Gord Help Us. Save Our Shoreline."
They say the Government’s lack of spending on sea defences threatens resorts such as Southwold and Walberswick, which are popular with both celebrities and holidaymakers. John Gummer, Conservative MP for Suffolk Coastal, was among the crowds lined up on Southwold promenade today.
"It’s a wonderful opportunity for us, in a very polite, reasonable and sensible way, to say ’this is what the Government is doing," said Mr Gummer.
Andrew Blois, 37, who owns a caravan park and camp site in neighbouring Walberswick that are under threat from the sea, said:
"I think this is the most beautiful part of the country and we’re very pleased that Gordon Brown has chosen to come here. "We’re not trying to disturb his holiday but we’re trying to remind him that this is a very important issue.
"We would like him to engage in discussion about this and do something about it. It’s within his gift to do that."