Published Date: 03 June 2010 By Rob Alderson – Hastings Observer.
“Saving the fishing industry is one of the MP’s top priorities, she vowed this week.
Amber Rudd was responding to local LibDem campaigner Nick Perry’s comments that she should “walk the walk as well as talk the talk” when it came to fighting for the fleet’s future.
“I am completely on top of it and am pushing (fisheries minister) Richard Benyon as hard as I possibly can for a policy to help our fishermen,” said Ms Rudd.
Lots of talk in the lead up to the General Election focused on how to relieve the local fleet from the crippling burden of EU fishing quotas, and Mr Perry collected a 4,000 name petition calling on the last Government to come to the fishermen’s rescue.
Mr Perry has offered to give the petition to Ms Rudd as he called on her to live up to her pre-election promises.
He said: “In the spirit of the coalition I would ask her to please take this petition to the new fisheries minister and show him the extent to which people in this area are 150 per cent behind the fishermen.
“I am determined that Amber does not just talk the talk but also walks the walk to help our fleet.
“It is crucial that we put pressure on the Conservatives to deliver what they failed to deliver in the past.”
Ms Rudd said she was committed to helping the fishermen.
“Bring it on,” she said of the petition.
“I have already been in touch with Paul Joy (head of the Hastings Fishermen’s Protection Society) and I am continually grabbing Mr Benyon when I see him in the chamber. I am doing everything I can to keep the Hastings fishermen at the forefront of his mind.
“I know he is working hard on it but he does not want to make an announcement before there is something concrete we can offer, but I am confident he will do something to help the fishermen before the end of this year.”"
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