Letter from Parliament - Jim Dobbin MP

Jim Dobbin MP

If it wasn’t so serious it would be hilariously funny.

Yes, there’s never a dull moment with this bunch of incompetent Coalition Ministers in power. As the Osborne budget is scrutinized, we realise that the tax-dodging millionaires in the cabinet pay less tax than their gardeners. Not satisfied with hitting the charities, they then include Church buildings and don’t let us forget the Pastie Tax. We also hear that a first instalment Granny Tax is to be followed by a second Granny Tax.

The Coalition certainly know how not to look after the elderly, families and pensioners. Our millionaire cabinet are each £40,000 per year better off. We should all be dreading Osborne’s next budget, a comfort zone for the wealthy, austerity for everyone else. A paper on austerity was presented at the Environment Health and Social Care Committee of the Council of Europe, where I am a member. In the debate that followed every contribution from countries across Europe argued for investment and stimulus to create jobs and growth. America has got this right, the U.K. and Europe have got this all wrong. That is why we have entered a double dip recession which is worse than the 1980’s. Shadow Chancellor, Ed Balls has been warning about this for many months. He was correct. Osborne has cut too far and too fast.

Since the Health Bill is now enshrined in law, my office is experiencing an increasing number of cases adversely affected by the changes that this Law is bringing. We are seeing increased waiting lists and waiting times.

The national newspapers this week were highlighting massive increases in unemployment throughout Europe but especially in Spain. We are seeing that trend in this country now. Youth unemployment is on an ever upward trend. We are witnessing a lost generation of young people who have no future unless the Coalition change their austerity policy.

David Cameron should have sacked Jeremy Hunt immediately for his biased handling of the B-Sky-B deal, but Cameron knows that Hunt provides an obstacle between himself and Rupert Murdoch. He understands that if Hunt goes then he himself is next in the firing line because he is up to his neck in that decision.

At the recent Council of Europe meeting in Strasbourg, I became Vice-Chairman of the Council’s Public Health Committee and intend to set up two Health Enquiries, one on Involuntary Tranquilizer Addiction-‘prescription addiction’ and a second one on Water Sanitation and Vaccination in developing countries. These are health issues I have an interest in.

Locally all political parties have been inolved in elections which took place on Thursday. I shall comment later.