Weekly Column
One message I heard clearly talking to people across North West Norfolk during the election campaign was a frustration that politicians have too often failed to be straight with the public.
Unfortunately, in the House of Commons, MPs are growing wearily familiar of new ministers saying they have had the worst economic inheritance since the Second World War. This week we debated the King’s Speech measures on growth and other areas and it was a little Alice in Wonderland to hear this line trotted out repeatedly.
Yet the key indicators tell a different story - unemployment is 4.4% compared to 8% in 2010; the deficit has been more than halved from the over 10% rate Labour left; inflation is now 2%; the economy grew faster so far this year than other major G7 economies.
Of course, that does not mean everything is rosy. How could it be after a pandemic and energy price shock that is still causing hardship for many people?
So the government’s focus on growth is welcome. We need to increase business investment levels to those of our competitors. We need lower energy prices to help businesses. And we need more reform to boost productivity. Where there are sensible measures then we should support them – where there are changes to strengthen trade union power or impose job-destroying red tape, we should oppose them.
As we debated the economy, we also focused on the NHS. During the general election campaign, the Labour Party said it was “committed to delivering the New Hospitals Programme including modernising QEH in King’s Lynn to address its potentially dangerous RAAC.”
Admittedly this last-minute conversion was greeted with some scepticism but I welcome it. In the House of Commons, I took the opportunity of the first health and social care questions to ask the new Health Secretary to honour this pledge made to my constituents and the staff at QEH and to approve the business case submitted by the Trust for the new multi-storey car park. This would enable works to get underway on this key enabling project for the new hospital.
In response, Wes Streeting said that RAAC hospitals are top of his priorities which is good news. However, he also said he has commissioned a review of the overall New Hospitals Programme budget and timelines. We need a new QEH by 2030 and to be getting on with it now. This delay - in conflict with what was said during the election - is very unwelcome and will cause further uncertainty and concern.
I will continue to urge this new government to stick to the commitment it made and to recognise, as its Conservative predecessor did, the compelling case for a new hospital and move ahead with this scheme. It is essential for patients, staff, and our local community.
First published in Lynn News, 26 July 2024
