Liberal Democrat ministers Vince Cable and Ed Davey branded
‘hypocrites’ over support for NHS ‘privatisation’ bill
7 February 2011
Two Liberal Democrats representing seats in south west London,
Vince Cable and Ed Davey, were accused of hypocrisy over health
service ‘reform’ by Unite, the largest union in the country, today
(Monday 7 February).
The reason that Unite has labelled business secretary Vince
Cable, MP for Twickenham, and employment relations minister Ed
Davey, the MP for Kingston and Surbiton, hypocrites is that they
are supporting the Health and Social Care bill which is designed to
prevent MPs from having ‘a say’ on hospital closures.
However, both MPs were prominent in the campaign to save the
A&E and maternity services at Kingston Hospital in the run-up
to last May’s general election – the very type of high-profile,
local campaign that the bill will snuff out.
Under the legislation that the coalition is now supporting, the
voice of concerned MPs would be stifled and local democracy
smothered. Yet more than a third of Liberal Democratic ministers
were elected last May on the back of campaigns to keep their local
hospitals open. Now – just nine months later – they are supporting
the bill.
On 17 March, 2010, the Richmond and Twickenham Times reported
and pictured the two MPs and the then Liberal Democrat MP for
Richmond Park, Susan Kramer, handing in a 15,000-signature petition
in Downing Street to save services at Kingston Hospital.
Ed Davey also did a You Tube video in April 2010 praising
Liberal Democrat leader, Nick Clegg for visiting the hospital –
even saying that one of the current deputy prime minister’s
children was born there. Mr Davey’s website now proclaims: ‘Save
Kingston Hospital – Victory’ – because the coalition has halted the
review of London healthcare which means the hospital ‘has been
saved from the threats that were hanging over it’.
Unite assistant general secretary for public services, Gail
Cartmail, said: ”The stench of hypocrisy is wafting over South West
London. The campaign that Vince Cable and Ed Davey mounted over
Kingston Hospital would now carry no weight under what the
coalition is currently proposing.
”These two ministers must be cowering in shame that they will be
denying MPs and local people their chance to influence decisions
about local hospital closures – something they were very keen on
when they were touting for votes to be elected. It is interesting
how these two south west London MPs have changed their tune now
they have gained the comforts of ministerial office.”
The Health and Social Care bill, which had its Second Reading in
the Commons last week, is set to impose the private sector on the
NHS with existing hospitals allowed to "fail" in order that private
providers can flourish, while at the same time bulldozing away any
local objections to hospital closures.
In the combined impact assessments which accompany the bill, the
small print makes clear that MPs and local campaigns will have no
powers to prevent closures.
This is in direct contrast to the coalition agreement's pledge
that it would stop ‘centrally dictated’ closures of services, such
as A&E and maternity - and is in shocking contrast to the
platforms adopted by dozens on MPs during the last election.
Gail Cartmail said: ”The government has made it clear that this
legislation is expressly designed to prevent MPs from having any
say on service closures, which will now be left for the market to
decide. How can any MP sign up to something that deliberately stops
them from campaigning on behalf of their constituents?”
ENDS
Notes to news editors:
The newspaper report of the Downing Street petition handing in
can be seen on:
http://www.richmondandtwickenhamtimes.co.uk/news/5065643.MPs_take_hospital_campaign_to_Downing_Street/
Ed Davey’s You Tube contribution can be seen on: http://www.savekingstonhospital.org.uk/
Chapter 3 of Part 3 (Clauses 69-73) of the Health and Social
Care bill outlines the system of "designation" by which the
unelected bureaucracy will be allowed to decide what local services
will be guaranteed - or not.
For further information please contact Unite communications
officer, Shaun Noble, on 07768 693940
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