LABOUR COUNCILLORS REJECT LIB DEM NHS REFORM PROPOSALS

Labour councillors at Thursday’s full council meeting (12 May) rejected Liberal Democrat proposals to reform the NHS and Social Care Bill – which is currently on ‘pause’ in Parliament while the government consults.

Liberal Democrat Leyton councillor Bob Sullivan said:

“I am disappointed that the Labour party hid behind tired old slogans rather than taking the opportunity to seek to improve the NHS Bill. Given the choice between a superficial slanging match and constructive debate, local Labour councillors will choose the slanging match every time.”

Liberal Democrat Group Leader Bob Sullivan welcomed the parts of the Bill which reduce NHS bureaucracy and give more control to the patients but said Liberal Democrats were concerned by the Bill’s emphasis on competition and its commissioning proposals.

The Lib Dem Group set out a series of measures that would improve the Bill, including:

  1. No decision about the spending of NHS funds to be made in private and without proper consultation
  2. The ruling out of any competition based on price to prevent loss-leading corporate providers under-cutting NHS tariffs, and to ensure that healthcare providers ‘compete’ on quality of care.
  3. New private providers to be allowed only where there is no risk of ‘cherry-picking’ which would destabilise or undermine the existing NHS service relied upon for emergencies and complex cases,
    and where the needs of equity, research and training are met.
  4. NHS commissioning being retained as a public function.
  5. The continued separation of commissioning and provision of services to prevent conflicts of interests.
  6. An NHS, responsive to patients’ needs, based on co-operation rather than competition, and which promotes quality and equity not the market.

The proposals are in line with Liberal Democrat policy agreed at the party’s Spring Conference in March.

Unfortunately the Labour party voted down the proposed improvements in favour of a motion which contained no specific response to the current consultation exercise.

Lib Dems ensure Council action over flights nuisance

Cllr Farooq Qureshi with Leyton councillors Winnie smith and Bob SullivanA full investigation into what action the Council took to prevent increased flights over the borough will take place — thanks to ongoing pressure from your local Liberal Democrats.

A motion moved by Forest ward councillor (and Lib Dem parliamentary candidate for Leyton and Wanstead) Farooq Qureshi means that the Chief executive of Waltham Forest Council will now investigate the expansion of neighbouring London City Airport and ask what consultation exercises took place regarding the impact on local residents. 

Read the full report on the Council motion from the Waltham Forest Guardian here.

The local Guardian has praised the Liberal Democrat campaign, commenting that the “Lib Dem move should ensure answers” over the expansion of City Airport and increased flights over the borough.  Liberal Democrat councillors have been working with ‘Fight the Flights’ campaigners to raise the profile of the issue.

More planes, more noise, more pollution – Leyton and Leytonstone under threat!

Cllr Farooq Qureshi with Lib Dem MP Chris Huhne and Leyton and Wanstead campaignersLiberal Democrat parliamentary candidate Cllr Farooq Qureshi has organised a public meeting in response to resident complaints about noise and pollution from City Airport.

The Leyton and Wanstead candidate is angry that the expansion of the airport has been kept from residents, and has seen a rise in complaints from residents about noise and pollution from the increase in planes over the local area.

Local Liberal Democrats have revealed that Newham Council granted permission for an increase in flights from City Airport from 76,000 to 120,000 a year.

The meeting will be held at the Quaker Meeting House on Bush Road (off the Green man roundabout) at 7pm on Friday 2nd October.  Feel free to come along!

Local Lib Dems slam MPs fuel poverty snub

Winnie Smith (centre) with local Lib Dem campaignersLocal Liberal Democrats have hit out at local MPs after they failed to turn up in parliament on Friday (20th March) to support an effort to end ‘fuel poverty’ for Waltham Forest residents.

The ‘Fuel Poverty’ bill, which has the backing of organisations ranging from Help the Aged to Friends of the Earth, would promote energy efficiency and cheaper energy tariffs for the less well off.  However the Labour Government blocked the passage of the bill despite the efforts of the Liberal Democrats.

Now Waltham Forest Lib Dems have taken up the cause, calling on Harry Cohen, Neil Gerrard and lain Duncan-Smith to explain their opposition to the Bill.

Figures recently released by the group Consumer Watch revealed that Leyton and Wanstead (5th), and Walthamstow (8th) both ranked in the top ten London constituencies for the number of residents living in ‘fuel poverty’.  A household is considered to be living in ‘fuel poverty’ when it spends 10% or more of its income on energy bills.  The figures revealed that an estimated 17 out of 100 local households fell into this category.  Chingford and Woodford green ranked 30th.

The charity Age Concern have described the result of Friday’s voting as “a huge let-down for the 2.75 million older people living in fuel poverty” adding that “many will question why a Government which claims to be concerned about fuel poverty has acted in such a cynical way.”

Leyton councillor Winnie Smith, who will second the local Lib Dem motion on the issue to Waltham Forest Council at Thursday’s Full Council meeting said:

“The actions contained in this Bill would help some of the most vulnerable residents of Waltham Forest and my ward, Leyton, at a time when fuel costs are rocketing and many people are finding it tough.

“Our local MPs need to start standing up for residents by using their voices in parliament, where it really counts”.

Last year local Liberal Democrats successfully got opposition councillors to agree to a series of measures aimed at ‘greening’ the Council such as improving the energy efficiency of council buildings.

Lib Dems keep Council Tax promise but warn of “uniquely challenging times”

Waltham Forest councillors last night approved the borough’s yearly budget, with Liberal Democrats keeping their promise to set Council Tax below 2.5%.

The level for this year is set at a below average 1.9%, with additional funds being put into street cleaning services, mental health services and enforcement powers to clamp down on rogue property developers.

Lib Dem leader Cllr John Macklin spoke for the Liberal Democrat group and congratulated fellow Liberal Democrat members for their work on keeping local taxes low. However he criticised the government for their hike in council tenant rent costs, suggesting that this move typified a “completely outdated” central approach to local government.

Cllr Macklin also offered opposition Tory councillors the opportunity to put their ‘alternative’ budget material budget proposals – recieved just hours before the budget meeting – through a proper scrutiny process, adding that there should be “no political restrictions on good ideas for our borough”.

Read Cllr Macklin’s full speech to Council and let us know what you think!

Playground cash arrives after pressure from Lib Dems

Cllr James O'Rourke with ward colleague Johar Khan (left) and Lib Dem parliamentary candidate Farid Ahmed (centre)The Waltham Forest Guardian is reporting that playgounds in Waltham Forest are to benefit from extra funding – just weeks after local Lib Dem councillors slammed the state of play areas throughout the borough.

Local Lib Dem councillor James O’Rourke led the protests regarding their upkeep alongside concerned local residents.

Now Cllr O’Rourke has given a cautious welcome to the funding boost, but has warned that the money must come alongside better standards of care and upkeep for the refurbished areas.

Read what he has to say in full over at Cllr O’Rourke’s blog.

Local Lib Dems Claim ‘Crisis’ in NHS Dentistry

Local Liberal Democrats have slammed the Government’s record on dentistry after the release of a damning survey which revealed that 6% of those left without a dentist had resorted to pulling out their own teeth.

The Dentistry Watch survey, which was conducted by the Commission for Patient and Public Involvement in Health, also revealed that a third of those who were not registered with a dentist claimed that there were no surgeries nearby, whilst 20% of those with NHS dentists had been forced to refuse treatment because of the cost.

Liberal Democrat Councillor Laura Sheppard (Cann Hall) met with the party’s Shadow Health Secretary, Norman Lamb MP, to discuss the crisis during the recent Party Conference in Bournemouth, and she was quick to express her concern at the ongoing problems patients are facing.

Cllr Sheppard said:

“Many residents have told me of the difficulties they are having with accessing an NHS dentist.

“Last year the government promised to sort out the lack of NHS dentistry, which has been a real concern for those with dental health problems.  A new contract was introduced for dentists in April 2006 that was meant to address many of these issues.

“But the reality is that the contract has failed to stop the decline in NHS dentistry.  One in twelve dentists have actually opted out of the NHS since the contract came in.”

Liberal Democrats are leading the call for reforms to be introduced to the contract so that dentists are encouraged to stay in the NHS.

Commenting on the Dentistry Watch survey, Norman Lamb MP said:

“The Government is in denial about the crisis in the system. Ministers must admit the failings of the contract and admit the case for a thorough and urgent review of the system.

“The failure to improve access to NHS dentistry is yet another broken promise by this Government, which has lost all credibility on health issues.