NEWS
EVENTS
What is the Labour party actually doing? Here's a brief breakdown
Jeremy Corbyn recently vented that the media failed to cover the Labour party’s work.
The Labour Party leader mentioned that it is the media’s “failings” for not providing information on the government’s opposition. So, what has Labour been doing?
Shadow Health Secretary Jon Ashworth has recently spent these last few months voicing his opinion on the government’s handle on the NHS. Thousands of patients have been potentially harmed after the NHS had lost more than half a million of confidential medical correspondence, including treatment plans and test results.
These patient data sent between GP’s and hospitals went undelivered over the last five years, stemming from 2011 to 2016. Which we also know to be the years David Cameron and Theresa May took the reins as Prime Minister.
“This is an absolute scandal. For a company partly owned by the Department of Health and a private company to fail to deliver half a million NHS letters, many of which contain information critical to patient care, is astonishing.” Ashworth said.
“Patient safety will have been put seriously at risk as a result of this staggering incompetence. The news is heartbreaking for the families involved and it will be scarcely believable for these hospitals and GPs who are doing their best to deliver services despite the neglect of the government.”
Ashworth has indeed proven to be a man of the people, recognising the seriousness of the situation. Even referencing this to being a “cover up”, which let’s face it, cannot be ignored.
Even going further, Ashworth commented on the NHS statistics for this winter. He even went as far as to say that the government had “lost control.”
The reasoning behind this was that reportedly the NHS in England has performed at its worst level this past winter.
This is indeed a worrying case, with approximately 25,157 people waiting two months to start cancer treatment, 86.2% of people had waited more than four hours to be seen in A&E in December, and with 1.9m admissions in A&E in the same month, these figures are startling.
Ashworth went on to say: “Patients are paying the price as target after target is missed and standards of care deteriorate. Thousands more people are waiting for treatment, people are stuck in hospitals even when they're well enough to go home, and key standards on cancer care and ambulance response times are being missed.
"These are some of the worst figures we have seen."
"Urgent action is required and Labour is calling for a sustainable funding package for health and social care to be brought forward in the March budget, so that the NHS and its patients never have to go through a winter like this again.”
Indeed, Ashworth has proven that the Labour party, in general, recognise the wrong-doings of the government and provide a suitable replacement. What remains to be seen is how May's government will respond to all this.
Meanwhile, Shadow education secretary Angela Rayner has made a stand on the government’s focus on schools. More recently, with the assistance of Jeremy Corbyn, the Labour party has made an intention to impose VAT on private school fees, to pay for free meals in primary schools.
Rayner mentioned that government cuts to school budgets would lead to a deterioration in the quality of school meals while limiting the number of pupils who can receive them.
Furthermore, in the wake of the government cutting school funds, she had also voiced all that is wrong with this decision. According to a report by the Education Policy Institute, the average secondary in England would face losses of almost £300,000, which is the equivalent of six teachers. While primaries will lose out on tens of thousands of pounds.
Rayner accused the Conservatives of “breaking a manifesto promise” by reducing per-pupil funding when talking to ITV’s Good Morning Britain.
"When they're talking about getting rid of teaching staff and reducing the subjects and curriculum on offer, then we all should be concerned." she said.
Whilst the government have focused on the education cuts, it’s clear to see that Rayner has paid more attention to those who would be affected.
Overall, it’s clear to see why Corbyn is frustrated with Labours contributions being overlooked. Especially considering they are dealing with serious issues caused by the current government.
