Call to adopt a red phone box

This is the headline to a piece in my local paper this week. Herewith the text, with my comments in red:

Hundreds [Since I haven't seen a red telephone box for quite some time now, the idea that there are hundreds of them sitting out there on the streets of the UK in need of preservation seems a bit odd to me - but, I read it in the paper, so it must be true] of traditional [I wonder what makes a telephone box "traditional" - it can't be age, since the telephone is, relatively speaking, a recent invention] red telephone boxes will be saved in a bid to preserve the nation's heritage - and Romford MP Andrew Rosindell is right behind the move.

In April, BT [British Telecommunications] revealed plans to reduce payphones across the UK by 9 000 [but the vast majority of these will be of recent design, and not the "traditional red boxes"]. They have now agreed to allow local authorities to "adopt" red telephone boxes, without the communications equipment, in an attempt to retain a key symbol [It's quaint, but not that much of a symbol to be labelled "key"] of British tradition.

Mr Rosindell said: "Keeping Britain's red 'phone boxes is vital. ["Vital" usually means essential for life - how can a red 'phone box, without a telephone in it, be vital for life?] We do not want to see any more of our great heritage destroyed and this news represents a small, but significant victory in defending our nation's traditions. [Mantra of the political right - it is a bit embarrassing when your own MP comes out with stuff like this ...]

"I now urge local authorities, especially in London, to ensure they take into account the need [Given the controversy raging locally over charges to council tenants and leaseholders for recently introduced CCTV, the idea that residents might have to pay the cost of preserving white elephant - sorry, red elephant - 'phone boxes won't go down well! What need? ] to preserve all [!] red telephone boxes in their areas."

Now, I must ask my MP how much of his time and energy has been directed towards preserving telephone boxes when it might have been spent looking after the needs of constituents .... Especially since I understand he was not present in the House of Commons during its last considerations of the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Bill.