Day: March 26, 2014

Simon Kirby, MP for Brighton Kemptown and Peacehaven accuses local Labour Party of playing party politics over the issue of funding for the Royal Sussex County Hospital.

Following his election, Mr Kirby has led a long running campaign to secure redevelopment funding for the hospital, on behalf of his constituents and people across the region. However, he claims the Labour group on Brighton and Hove City Council have consistently refused to get behind the campaign, choosing instead he claims to spread misleading information which he has shown to be inaccurate.

At a Council meeting tomorrow, Thursday March 27, he claims that Labour will repeat their false claim that funding is being unnecessarily delayed by the Government. Mr Kirby says that Nancy Platts, the Labour Parliamentary Candidate for Brighton Kemptown and Peacehaven has previously suggested that funding was secured under the previous Government, an allegation which he says was completely discredited in a letter from the Health Secretary. Despite these claims being shown to be inaccurate, he says he awaits an apology from the candidate.

To read the letter in full, CLICK HERE:

Mr Kirby said: “The Royal Sussex County Hospital is important to everyone in my constituency, regardless of which party they support. We all want to see this redevelopment, which is why I find it so disappointing that the Labour Party would propose this unhelpful motion when the campaign is entering such a crucial period.

“By claiming that funding is essentially in place, or that it is being delayed for political reasons, the Labour Party have either misunderstood what is happening with the hospital, or they have intentionally tried to mislead people. I find that disappointing, particularly on an issue that should transcend party politics.

“It is right that the business case for the hospital redevelopment is properly scrutinised, to ensure value for taxpayers money. Obviously previous PPI schemes signed off under the previous Government were devastating for the public finances, and we don’t want to see a return to that kind of reckless spending.

“My hospital campaign has seen a huge amount of support from constituents, regardless of whether they vote Conservative, Labour, Green or any one else. I would urge the Labour Party to stop treating our local hospital like a political football, and get behind my campaign for a final, united effort on behalf of everyone who relies on the Royal Sussex County Hospital.”

In her response, Nancy Platts, the Labour Parliamentary candidate for Kemptown and Peacehaven, says: “People in Brighton want to know when the hospital will be built – but this Government has no answer. Labour got this off the ground but David Cameron again failed to make any commitment when he visited our area this week.

“Simon Kirby must also answer for the A&E crisis his Government has inflicted on our hospital. Patients in Brighton have experienced some of the worst A&E performance anywhere in the country over winter, with hundreds of patients waiting too long and many on trolley for hours on end – they deserve much better.”