FORMER Labour cabinet minister Alan Johnson become the first person to sign a petition by Ilkley Labour Party calling for a guaranteed GP appointment within 48 hours.

Mr Johnson visited Keighley Constituency on Friday evening (August 8) and read from his best selling book ' This Boy' to an audience of 100 at the Central Hall, Keighley.

Mr Johnson, who was Health Secretary in the last Government Mr Johnson signed the petition, calling for the next Government to guarantee a GP's appointment for all within 48 hours.

He said the necessary funding would come from savings on legal and accountants fees made by abandoning the current Government's policy of putting many NHS services out to tender.

Labour's candidate for the Keighley constituency, John Grogan, said: "The evening was a great success. It is rare these days to fill a hall for a meeting about politics.

"We intend to follow up with other such events in Keighley and Ilkley in the coming months. Meanwhile , Alan told me he was looking forward to returning to the area to speak about his next book 'Please Mr Postman' at Ilkley Literature festival on the evening of Saturday October 17th at the Kings Hall, Ilkley."