PHILIP Davies is correct in assuming people of Keighley and Shipley want to pull away from Bradford – Snap poll indicates big back for breakaway (Keighley News, August 3).

John Grogan is a Selby newcomer and does not know the facts or the area.

I was sent an e-mail from Kris Hopkins when he was the Keighley and Ilkley MP stating he would be working with Mr Davies in the future hoping to set up a new Aire Valley council. So, I suggest Mr Grogan gets his facts right and considers negotiating with Mr Davies on the withdrawal of Shipley/Keighley etc getting out of the clutches of Bradford, otherwise Mr Grogan will be following Mr Hopkins out in due course.

Mr Grogan is not listening or working for the benefit of his Keighley constituents.

MALCOLM BALMFORTH Keighley

* Mr Grogan replied: “I do not doubt Keighley urgently needs a better deal from Bradford Council, the Government and many other public bodies.

“I want to work closely with Keighley Town Council and parish councils, as well as Bradford district councillors, to make sure we have a much louder voice and get more investment and jobs. For me, splitting up Bradford district is a diversion from that task, and a costly one in time and money.

“Besides, once you start trying to split up boundaries, there is no way of telling where it would end – if it becomes everybody for themselves, would relatively affluent Ilkley want to join up with, and subsidise, poorer areas of Keighley, for example?

“The Tory group on Bradford Council, including when Kris Hopkins was leader, has never endorsed the campaign to divide up the area. Equally, Tory grandee, Keighley-born Eric Pickles, rejected any such plan when he was the Minister in charge of Local Government. Actions speak louder than words.”