Letter from Parliament - Jim Dobbin MP

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Jim Dobbin MP

A year is a long time in politics as the saying goes. The people of this country will never forget the year when we witnessed the beginning of the demise of public services. David Cameron’s judgement is beginning to look suspect and weak. Much of his major policies are beginning to fall apart. His ministers make major announcements and then have to retract them. They charge ahead with programmes that have no detail and have to make u- turns.

His NHS plans are opposed by most NHS professionals, he pauses for reflection, appoints a senior doctor, Professor Steven Field to review his plans who tells him the NHS plans are unworkable. Professor Field warned that key services are in danger of destruction.

His plans to reform the Welfare State and Benefits system are severely criticised by a major Think Tank who say that child poverty and pensioner poverty which had reduced under Labour was rising again.

The attack on financial support for the disabled was highlighted by a massive march and lobby of Parliament last week.

Cameron, Clegg and his Cabinet of millionaires have no idea how ordinary people live. They are completely out of touch with the real world.

His decision to ask the police to re-open the tragic McCann case looks like a PR stunt. We all feel very sad for the McCann family but again Cameron’s judgement is questionable and costly. £3.5million has been allocated for this investigation. He is now open to pressure from any family who have lost a child in similar dreadful circumstances but has he really thought this intervention through? Surely this should be left to the police.

It’s been an interesting period following the local elections with the Lib Dems in chaos across the country but even more so here in Rochdale. I hope the electorate remember how the Lib Dems have behaved.

The council will have great difficulty maintaining services as the government will continue to reduce grants. We are in for a period of severe austerity. As I have been warning for some time the UK‘s economy has flat-lined with growth of 0.5%following a period of 0.5% contraction. We are now growing at a lower rate than Greece and Portugal thanks to Osborne’s infantile economic thinking. He doesn’t understand that only growth will lift the economy and you can’t achieve growth if you increase levels of unemployment.

Unfortunately things can only get worse. Cameron, Osborne and Clegg are continuing the damage that the banks and the financial markets inflicted on the UK and the world.

I was delighted to present a certificate to the manager of Morrison’s in Heywood in recognition of their help in collecting £10,000 for the British Legion. It was a credit to Morrison’s and to the generosity of the people of Heywood.

In Middleton I joined Councillor Lil Murphy and new Councillor Phil Burke at the start of a fund raiser for Breast Cancer organised by Mal McColl and Christine Abbott from Demesne Community Centre. Mal and Christine are loyal supporters of the National Breast Cancer Campaign. Great progress has been made on cancer treatment in the UK - another reason why the government meddling with the NHS is bewildering.