Elisabeth Wilson with local health campaigner Bob Heys
Elisabeth writes: With news breaking that already 225,000 public sector jobs are being axed by councils, the NHS and police forces (see the Sunday Times today), it is time the Labour government came clean.
Although it is reported that management and administrative workers are more likely to go, cuts are also being made in frontline services that Gordon Brown pledged to protect. These include nurses and midwives, social workers, teachers and police officers.
So what is happening locally?
I am a member of the Calderdale and Huddersfield NHS Foundation Trust. On 3 February this year I went to a meeting about maternity services when a senior manager said that they were expecting “to get our budgets completely slashed”. Since then I have heard nothing – no communication, no information, let alone any consultation. So what is my membership worth?
In relation to the police, we know that police numbers dropped by 54 under Labour. I have just looked at the West Yorkshire police website, which is not currently accepting applications for police officers. There are advertisements for civilian jobs only.
Liberal Democrats believe in giving people a say in policing and the NHS. A lot of voters were upset about the wheelie bin contract – but at least you can vote against the current Conservative council. However you don’t get a say in the NHS that could save your life or the police who keep your family safe.
Liberal Democrats will create directly elected health boards and police authorities so these services deliver what you need.
It’s time for a new approach.