Published: Wednesday, 17th March, 2010 5:00pm

Brown refuses to apologise for Wilson snub

by Adam Hewitt

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Gordon Brown and chief constable Sara Thornton in Friar Street - in Reading East

ROB Wilson is still waiting for an apology from the Prime Minister over a breach of protocol during his visit to Reading earlier this month.

Gordon Brown failed to tell the Reading East MP that he planned to visit his constituency, even though Reading West Labour MP Martin Salter was invited to the crime speech at the Town Hall - which is in Reading East.

Mr Wilson asked in Parliament when Mr Salter, Reading Borough Council and the police were told about the visit, but Mr Brown's written answer yesterday (Tuesday) said only: "For security reasons, my engagements are announced as and when appropriate."

Commons Speaker John Bercow MP spoke out in the issue in Parliament yesterday in response to a similar incident in Norwich.

He said: "There is a long-established courtesy in this place that when one member visits another member's constituency on public business - as opposed to a private visit - the member visiting has a duty to notify, suitably far in advance, the member whose constituency he or she is visiting."

Mr Wilson told the Chronicle this afternoon: "The Prime Minister's answer suggested he thought he would need security on his visit to Reading. I can understand why he would think that - after all, he's trashed the economy and caused hundreds of people to lose their jobs and their homes."