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Pontefract Who Wants To Be a Millionaire? winner ditches MP plan
Who Wants To Be a Millionaire winner Steve Kidd has ditched his plans to become an MP.
Mr Kidd, from Pontefract, had planned to spend 10,000 from his 250,000 winnings to fund a campaign to stand as an MP at the next General Election.
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Now he says Labour will "take the glory" after Wakefield Council revealed they plan changes to Pontefract's Town End Junction – the single and only local issue on which he campaigned for 10 years and planned to stand for election on.
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The Labour-run council has identified Town End as a 'transport priority' and plan to scrap the system of multiple traffic lights and end of years of congestion and road misery.
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And Mr Kidd, 51, faced the grim possibility of losing his deposit after witnessing fellow Independent Jason Smart poll just 102 votes in last week's by-election in Airedale and Ferry Fryston.
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Mr Kidd had helped Mr Smart campaign for the seat, which was won by Labour's Les Shaw with 1,330 votes to nearest rival, Liberal Democrat Paul Kirby with 603.
Mr Kidd, who has a university degree in transport planning was to stand as an independent candidate on in the Pontefract and Castleford constituency against Government minister Yvette Cooper in this year's General Election.
He said: "We have had casualties, congestion and pollution at that junction for 15 years and nothing has changed in all that time.
"The only thing that has changed is that there's an election coming up and a bad tempered, cantankerous candidate had decided to stand and take a few votes off a cabinet minister and it has put the fear of God into them."
He added: "Labour are going to take the glory for it."
A Labour Party spokesman said: "Sorting out the traffic in Town End area is good news for Pontefract.
"Labour representatives have talked to local residents and have been acting on the problems in Town End for some time."
Councillors approved a recommendation that Town End junction should be a 'transport priority' scheme at a meeting of Wakefield Council's cabinet committee.
The report states: "Due to increased traffic this junction now suffers from some of the worst congestion seen in the district."
Possible solutions include: the re-installation of dual mini-roundabouts; installation of a large roundabout; development of a south western bypass and implementation of a one-way system.
Father-of-five Mr Kidd worked as a miner at Kellingley Colliery before becoming a well-known face on the local pub circuit as a DJ and quiz master.
In 2004 he appeared on Who Wants To Be A Millionaire? and made his fortune in just 20 minutes.
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Saturday 26 May 2012
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