Another Labour NHS gaffe

Posted by Chris:

Labour councillors embarrassed themselves again last Thursday after attacking NHS efficiency savings that were actually introduced by their own Labour Government in 2009 .

At the meeting of Redcar and Cleveland Council Labour members attacked the Coalition Government on the NHS, including accusations of cuts in local provision.

However, Lib Dem Group Leader Glyn Nightingale pointed out that the previous Labour Government had announced a £20 billion spending cuts programme in 2009!

Department of Health figures show that Redcar and Cleveland NHS Trust is getting nearly £7 million more from the Government this year.

Glyn Nightingale, Leader of the Council Liberal Democrat Group, said:

“The Liberal Democrats left the meeting, because they are concerned that Council meetings have rapidly become dominated by Labour Party propaganda and political antics rather than getting on with the business of running the Council for local people.

Labour is not just wasting the Council’s time. They get their facts wrong. We have complained about this for months. Last week Labour set up two factually incorrect questions on the NHS that had nothing to do with Council business.

A question from Councillor Massey speculating about the impact of the NHS bill was unnecessary, as the bill is still going through Parliament and is not yet the law.

Councillor Wendy Wall’s question blaming the Government for cuts in the Tees health budget was unbelievable. The Coalition is actually protecting NHS spending in real terms each year. What the Government has been struggling to get on top of in the NHS is the previous Labour Government's five-year programme of £20 billion spending cuts announced in 2009.

The Borough faces serious challenges over the coming years. It’s the business of Councillors to face these rather than waste time on party political stunts."

In all the years I have been a Councillor (I was first elected in 1978) I cannot recall any other occasion when I have felt it necessary to walk out of a meeting albeit only for the duration of the two planted questions. The desperation that the Labour party has shown in seeking to blame Liberal Democrats and MP Ian Swales in particular for absolutely everything is shocking. Their claims are bordering on bonkers and do not stand up to the slightest scrutiny but they are relentless in repeating misinformation and not checking the facts.