Mark Taylor-Batty's correspondence with Philip Davies, 28 September, regarding his affiliation with Action Airedale

Dear Philip,

I'd like to follow up on a line of enquiry from the Saltaire Village Society Meeting on Monday. A member of the public asked you about your
affiliation with Action Airedale. We understood from your answer that Action Airedale invited you to join them, and that you were happy to do
so. You denied that you were instrumental in setting up Action Airedale. You could not remember the names of the people who constituted Action Airedale, with some exceptions. You did not mention Anne Hawksworth in relation to Action Airedale.

Bradford Council's News release dated 14 February 2007 and entitled "Bid to form business coalition to improve transport" stated that
"Councillor Anne Hawkesworth, Executive Member for Environment and Philip Davies, MP, made the announcement to form Action Airedale today
following their meeting with the Minister for Transport last month. Action Airedale will consist of businesses leaders and other interested
groups who will lobby for a better transport system throughout the valley."
http://tinyurl.com/3dfv3w

The Telegraph and Argus repeated that news release on 14 February 2007:
http://archive.thetelegraphandargus.co.uk/2007/2/14/192732.html
As did the Craven Herald and Pioneer on 22 February:
http://archive.cravenherald.co.uk/2007/2/22/193252.html

The T&A later (31 March) stated that "Councillor Anne Hawkesworth, Bradford Council's transport portfolio holder - who pushed for the setting-up of Action Airedale along with Shipley MP Philip Davies - said the lobby group was ready to make an impact."
http://tinyurl.com/2mfzua

Your own website gives the following news article under the title
"Action Airedale" for 20 February 2007:

"Philip Davies MP and Councillor Hawkesworth today announced their intention to form a coalition of businesses and other interest groups
to put the case for better transport in Airedale." [...] Philip Davies said "I fully support the Council's intention to work with the
Government to secure major investment in the transport network in Airedale. Action Airedale will give those dependent upon the transport
infrastructure in Airedale a common voice to speak for much needed improvements"
http://www.philipdavies.me.uk/record.jsp?type=release&ID=41

Did you, in fact, initiate Action Airedale yourself with councillor Hawksworth, as your own news article indicates, or is it true that you were invited to join Action Airedale and you don't know much about who constitutes its membership, as you plainly told everyone at the Saltaire Village Society meeting on 24 September 2007?

Philip's response:

Dear Mark

Thank you for your email.

I thought I had made this clear at the meeting but I am sorry if not.

As I said at the meeting the original idea for Action Airedale came from Bradford Council (Cllr Hawksworth is clearly and publicly the executive member in charge of this area) and I was asked if I would join them in launching this group jointly to bring together those people who wished to see additional funding for improving our transport infrastructure so we could effectively lobby for this funding.

This is exactly what happened. I certainly have not distanced myself from Action Airedale as I have and will continue to support this initiative.

I was asked at the meeting who was a member and who attended the initial meeting and the answer I gave was that I do not know which is completely honest. I am sure the Council have this information.

I have made my position supporting the aim of Action Airedale completely clear from the outset.

Few initiatives launched jointly by people were because both people came up with the idea, but due to one person agreeing to jointly launch the other person's original idea. This is what happened here.