Bread and butter issues
Posted by Kate Green, MP for Stretford and Urmston, at 12:21, Fri 5 July 2013:
Good afternoon,
There have been two big lobbying events in parliament this week.
Postal workers came to parliament on Tuesday to lobby MPs to stop the sell-off of Royal Mail.
Later, taxi drivers came to lobby us about proposals to remove licensing responsibility from local authorities. That could mean drivers could be turning up from anywhere, knowing nothing about the local area, but taking business from local taxi firms.
I attended both lobbies. These are bread and butter issues that would have a direct effect on people in Trafford. I wanted to show my support for the campaigners, and to hear more about their concerns.
I'm very angry the government intends to privatise Royal Mail, yet it's taxpayers who've carried all the costs of getting it ready for sale. I'm worried that private companies will pick and choose where they deliver, leaving more remote or deprived areas without a decent postal service.
And I really worry that passengers' safety will be put at risk if we suddenly allow unknown taxi companies to turn up taking business in Trafford. When you get in a cab, you want to know the driver knows the area. If you've got a mobility problem, you want to use a local firm that knows your particular needs.
This week, Labour colleagues, local people, trade unionists, patient groups and campaigners are marking the 65th birthday of the NHS. I'll be attending several events, including at Trafford General, the birthplace of the NHS.
The Labour governments between 1997 and 2010 made a huge investment in the NHS. Waiting lists fell dramatically, we invested in new medical centres and hospitals, trained more doctors, and recruited more nurses. Patient satisfaction soared.
That's been put in reverse by this government. Since the general election, we've lost over 1000 nurses in the North West alone. Our local A&Es missed the waiting time target 85% of the time between September 2012 and May 2013. And social care budgets have been slashed, putting even more pressure on the NHS.
Yet the Tories want to hand more and more of the NHS to the private sector, while pressures on budgets increase. I'll be happy and proud to celebrate the NHS 65th birthday this weekend. But we have a real fight on our hands to protect it.
Kate Green Member of Parliament for Stretford and Urmston
Shadow Spokesperson for Equality
Tel: 0161 749 9120 (constituency); 020 7219 7162 (Westminster) www.kategreen.org @kategreensu
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