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Your important vote in the democracy of the European Union

(1 May 2009)

The European Parliament is a democratic body which really affects your life, for example by taking action to cut emissions across Europe: we cannot do this by ourselves in Britain. Here is the constituency chairman's response to one eurosceptic who has failed to realise the importance of the European Parliament.

He also points to the complete lack of logic in voting for the UK Independence Party and other parties opposed to the European Union: they cannot achieve the aim of withdrawal from the Union in the European Parliament.

Doctors' trade union opposes weekend clinics: G.Ps'. petition and leaflet seriously misrepresent Government's proposal

(28 November 2008)

"Throughout Hertfordshire and Bedfordshire G.Ps. are asking patients to sign a petition and some of them are issuing a leaflet, both of which seriously misrepresent the Government’s proposal for family doctor services,” says Richard Henry (at that time Labour’s parliamentary spokesperson for North East Hertfordshire).

Richard Henry

Richard Henry, himself a Non-Executive Director of a Primary Care Trust, adds that the leaflet, issued by the Bedfordshire and Hertfordshire Local Medical Committee, tries to scare patients by suggesting that the proposals will end continuity of care by a G.P. who knows you, forcing you to travel to a large clinic run by a faceless corporation. “The British Medical Association (BMA) is perhaps the most effective trade union in the country and what they really oppose is the requirement that clinics open at weekends. After all, they have just negotiated a very good deal for G.Ps. with the Government, which gave them weekends off.”

The Government proposal is quite different. In fact, they are investing extra money to improve G.P. services, both in G.P. practices and in new G.P.-led clinics. Patients will be able to use the clinics, but still stay with their current G.Ps. Even if they choose to register with a new clinic, there is no reason why they should not normally see the same doctor on each visit.

The crucial requirement is that clinics will be open from 8 am to 8 pm seven days a week. Thus, if you want to see a G.P. at a time when your usual surgery is shut, you can go without registering to your nearest clinic.  “There is no mention in the preamble to the petition or in the leaflet of the convenience for patients of this,” says Richard Henry. “ And this does not result it any change to the continuity of care. After all, in an emergency many of us see one of the other doctors who happens to be available at our own health centre, rather than the one who knows us well.” The Government wants one clinic in every area to provide this convenient service to patients and also to take pressure off accident and emergency departments at weekends. For East and North Hertfordshire, this new centre will be in Welwyn Garden City.

It is true that corporations may bid to run clinics. They already run some G.P. practices. However, they will employ G.Ps. to provide the care.The B.M.A. calls this privatisation, but the G.P. service is already privatised:at the formation of the N.H.S. the B.M.A. insisted on doctors being private contractors rather than employees. G.Ps. are therefore able to decide how much of the money paid to them to invest in services, just like corporations. Clinics run by corporations will only get patients to register with them rather than local practices if they offer a better service.

No time for a novice

(28 September 2008)

"Everyone knows that I'm in favour of apprenticeships, but let me tell you this is no time for a novice," said Gordon Brown in his speech at the Labour Party Conference. "...Britain cannot trust the Conservatives to run the economy."

"Where would our country be if we had listened to them? No paternity leave, no New Deal, no Bank of England independence, no Sure Start, no devolution, no civil partnerships, no minimum wage, no new investment in the NHS, no new nurses, no new police, no new schools.... no rescue of Northern Rock, no action on speculation, no protection for mortgages, doing nothing to stop banks going under."

In Hertfordshire, we have all just received the Conservative-controlled County Council's magazine Horizons. In it they boast about the 50 Sure Start children's centres that they have opened, with another 32 on the way. Excellent! But no mention that this programme was an initiative of the Labour Government. And no mention that David Cameron proposed to axe this programme!

Don't let a novice run the country. Back Gordon Brown.

Watch or read Gordon Brown's speech in full at www.labour.org.uk/gordon_brown_conference.

Crime down 39% under Labour

(22 July 2008)

Crime is down 39% since 1997, according to the British Crime Survey. "This reverses the upward trend under the Tories, under whom crime doubled, but convictions fell by a third," said Richard Henry, Labour's Parliamentary Spokesperson for North East Hertfordshire. "The increased number of police officers and the introduction of police community support officers is really having an effect. In Hertfordshire, recorded crime fell by 12% in the last year."

The British Crime Survey (BCS) began in 1981 and surveys the population to record the number of victims of crimes, whether they have been reported or not. It is not affected by changes in the way police forces record crime. The information for Hertfordshire, however, is based on crime as recorded by the police. Both sets of statistics record an overall fall in crime in the last year in Britain: the BCS records a 10% drop and recorded crime was down 9%.

Herts Primary Schools get £8 million a year from Labour Government

(21 July 2008)

The Labour Government's Primary Capital Programme will invest £8 million per year for the next 14 years in Hertfordshire's primary schools. This investment was welcomed last month by Cllr. Nigel Bell, who is the Labour spokesperson for education on the County Council.

Benington Windfarm

(12 July 2008)

Richard Henry, Labour's Parliamentary spokesperson for this constituency, has written to the planning authority (East Hertfordshire District Council) in support of the proposal for Benington windfarm.

The Comet newspaper also published a letter from him responding to an article by  the Tory MP for the constituency who is opposing  this move to generate green electricity:

The East Hertfordshire Rural Branch Labour Party, in whose area Benington falls, has also written to the planning authority in support of the proposal. Click here for the text of the branch's letter.

The NHS at 60

(5 July 2008)

Richard Henry, who was Labour's Parliamentary spokesperson for this constituency at the time, congratulated the NHS on its 60th birthday on 5 July 2008:  "Sixty years ago, the Labour Government of Clement Attlee, in spite of the problems of post-War Britain, introduced free universal healthcare. Nye Bevan, the health minister, had to fight the opposition of the Tories and of the medical profession to bring his dream to fruition."

"Eleven years ago, the NHS was struggling against underfunding after a long period of Tory Government. Patients were waiting two years or more for operations, buildings were crumbling and new high-tech equipment was spread sparsely across the country. The Labour Government tackled patients' number one priority of waiting lists, so that the maximum wait is right down - 18 weeks instead of over two years by the end of 2008. Incredibly, the Tories want to scrap waiting time targets, which would allow waiting times to drift back upwards."

"Gordon Brown, as Chancellor, provided extra resources, tripling the spend on the NHS. 32,000 more nurses and 88,000 more doctors now work in the NHS than in 1997. And look at the improved facilities at the Lister or at the completely new community hospital in Hertford - and thank the Labour Party."

For more information on Labour and the NHS, go to www.labour.org.uk/proud.

Red Rose Summer Party

(30 June 2008)

Members from Letchworth Branch, as well as from Hitchin and Harpenden Constituency Party and Hertford and Stortford Constituency Party, as well as a former member visiting from Canada, helped East Hertfordshire Rural Branch to enjoy their Red Rose summer garden party on 30 June 2008.

Richard Henry draws the raffle from a hat held by branch member, David Evans. His wife,
Cllr. Jackie Henry, looks on.

District Council Elections on 1 May 2008

(2 May 2008)

This was a very disappointing result for Labour. Arthur Jarman and Ian Mantle both lost their seats on the North Hertfordshire District Council, having won them back only one year ago. However, in Arthur's case he lost by only 11 votes.

The Labour candidates in all the other wards which had an election also lost. Labour did not field a candidate in Baldock East.

Elsewhere in the North Hertfordshire District, the news was rather better. Labour retained seats in Hitchin Bearton and Hitchin Oughton.

Full details of the result are on the District Council's website.

In East Hertfordshire there are no elections for another three years, so we are stuck with a Tory administration who spent £1.1 million on making the chief executive redundant and re-organizing staff, £620,000 on dealing with the resultant quarrels between staff, and then an unknown amount on recruiting a new chief executive to sort out the mess.

Speeding traffic in Ordelmere, Letchworth

(1 Feb. 2008)

The County Council has deferred any action to improve safety in Ordelmere. Read the newsletter issued in Grange ward: click here.

Tories to close Westbury Primary and Nursery School in Letchworth

(23 Jan. 2008)

At the County Council Cabinet meeting on Monday 21^st January, the Tory Administration agreed to close the much praised Westbury Primary and Nursery School in Letchworth, as of 31^st August 2009. Despite a petition on 1,095 signatures, 87 objections and the opposition of local head teachers, parents and children, the Cabinet rejected last minute pleas by local campaigners.

Labour Education spokesman, Nigel Bell, commented: "The Tories have dealt a severe cut to educational resources in Letchworth in an area that can least afford it. The much admired special needs, remedial work and pastoral care, taught at Westbury are in danger of being lost due to this short-sighted decision."

Westbury is in the top 5% for value-added assessments countrywide, and questions remain about the future level of special help and resources that will be needed at the neighbouring schools – Wilbury and Icknield respectively – to cater for children who will have to go there.

Nigel added: "Despite guaranteeing that the Children’s Centre will still be on the Westbury Site, we are still to be convinced that Early Years Provision and Best Practice regarding Special Needs will be properly maintained in this area."

Parents and children will now have to negotiate Icknield Way and the railway line to access the nearest schools.

We note that David Lloyd, Deputy Leader of the County Council, said "Westbury is a fine school, no doubt about that" and the Leader of the Council, Robert Gordon, admitted that recent figures had shown pupil numbers had risen at Westbury.

East Herts Rural Branch supports Benington Windfarm