AUSTIN DEMANDS APOLOGY AFTER SOUTHERN TORY’S “UGLY” DUDLEY SLUR

Dudley North MP IAN AUSTIN is calling on a southern Tory to apologise after he described Dudley as “ugly” in the House of Commons.

Austin spoke out after Devon MP Gary Streeter said Dudley was home to the “ugliest” buildings in A House of Commons debate.

In raising an official point of order, Austin said:

“On a point of order, Mr Speaker is it in order for the hon. Member for South West Devon (Mr Streeter) to describe Dudley as ugly? Why should a place which boasts the UK’s first national geological nature reserve, a fantastic castle, a beautiful town centre which traces its roots back to mediaeval Britain, and the award-winning Black Country living museum be sneered at by somebody like him? Should he not come to Dudley and see these gems for himself? Would you like to come to Dudley, Mr Speaker, so that you can see how wrong he was?

“We attract hundreds of thousands of visitors every year to Dudley and its fantastic attractions. I’m inviting Gary Streeter to come here so he can see for himself just how wrong he was.”

ENDS

NOTES

Hansard transcript:

4.20 pm

Mr Gary Streeter (South West Devon) (Con): I am sure my hon. Friend the Member for Plymouth, Sutton and Devonport (Oliver Colvile) will agree that the decision to list Plymouth civic centre as some kind of historic and beautiful building, when it is probably the ugliest thing outside Dudley, is absolutely disgraceful. [Interruption.] Have I got myself in trouble there? I think I probably have.

http://www.publications.parliament.uk/pa/cm201212/cmhansrd/cm120117/debtext/120117-0001.htm#12011733000546

1.6 pm

Ian Austin (Dudley North) (Lab): On a point of order, Mr Speaker. Is it in order for the hon. Member for South West Devon (Mr Streeter) to describe Dudley as ugly? Why should a place which boasts the UK’s first national geological nature reserve, a fantastic castle, a beautiful town centre which traces its roots back to mediaeval Britain, and the award-winning Black Country living museum be sneered at by somebody like him? Should he not come to Dudley and see these gems for himself? Would you like to come to Dudley, Mr Speaker, so that you can see how wrong he was?

http://www.publications.parliament.uk/pa/cm201212/cmhansrd/cm120118/debtext/120118-0001.htm#12011848001537