Dear Editor,
I am delighted that Labour Party members will be joining a cross party campaign to restore the NHS by supporting and calling on all MPs to vote for the NHS bill tomorrow.
At the last all members’ meeting of Brighton, Hove and District Labour Party the members voted overwhelmingly to support the bill. Whilst no bill is perfect, and I would expect good Labour MPs to table friendly amendments at later readings, I am clear that all Labour MPs should be supporting the sprit of the bill, which is seconded by our party leader.
I have written to our shadow health secretary and local MPs to remind them of the strong view of our members on this matter and I hope they take heed of the single largest Labour Party in the South East.
The NHS is too important to divide along party lines, but what is clear is that the current government is slowly attacking every aspect of the NHS. They have attacked our doctors, our nurses and the very make up of the service and therefore I’m delighted that the NHS bill has support across a number of parties.
I’m proud that the Labour Party locally have joined our junior doctors and patient transport staff on each walk out that they have undertaken to save our services. I’m also pleased that during the final years of the last Labour government the creeping privatisation was halted by making the NHS the preferred provider, but we must go further.
I will continue to support our fantastic NHS staff whilst calling on all of our MPs to vote for the reading of the NHS bill tomorrow.
Yours
Lloyd Russell-Moyle
Chair of the Brighton, Hove and District Labour Party