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Thursday, February 09 2012

Video: David Cameron in Kent - Tories would deal with discount alcohol

Cameron speaks to the crowds at the Sunlight Centre

Boris JohnsonConservative party leader David Cameron has spoken out against plans for an estuary airport during a visit to Medway.

Speaking exclusively to the Medway Messenger Mr Cameron said his party was not backing Boris Johnson’s controversial scheme for an airport in the Thames Estuary.

Mr Cameron said: "The party isn’t putting forward that approach or another runway at Heathrow."

The opposition leader made the statement while he  was touring one of Medway's most successful community projects, the Sunlight Centre in Gillingham, visiting Radio Sunlight and speaking to young people with disabilities about their advocacy work.

Mr Cameron said: "The Sunlight Centre brings together so many of the organisations that bind us together. It’s a community centre, which isn’t a weakness, it’s a strength."

The Tory leader took the opportunity to talk to an audience made up of councillors, community leaders and police officers about his plans to fix "broken Britain."

Mr Cameron was tackled about the issue of rowdy behaviour caused by late-night drinkers by prospective parliamentary candidate for Medway Mark Reckless.

Mr Reckless said he wanted the Conservatives to return licensing powers to magistrates from councils and highlighted frequent problems in Rochester High Street.

Mr Cameron said: "I do not think we should turn the clock back but I do think we need to change the licensing law. It has not been the success people thought it would.

"Part of this is about responsibility and making sure that the police can intervene. But we would be wrong if we did not recognise that there is a problem around supermarket pricing and availability.

"All the evidence suggests that we have got to deal with the deep discounting of alcohol by the supermarkets."

But he ruled out ending 24-hour licensing that was brought in by Labour, saying: "We do not want to go back to the pubs shutting at 11pm…that is not a good idea. Flexibility is right and of course we want to have a more continental drinking culture but the law has gone wrong and we need to put it right."

  • For the full story see Monday's Medway Messenger.

A graphic showing how an island airport in the Thames Estuary off the north Kent coast might work. Graphic: Ashley Austen

Friday, January 22 2010

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