MP hits back at criticism of NHS action

ANGRY Colne Valley MP Jason McCartney has hit back at health activists who claim he is not challenging his own government’s NHS plans.

Amid his high profile support for the Hands Off HRI campaign, the Colne Valley Labour party has discovered that the Tory MP held only one formal meeting with a Department of Health minister in 2016.

The party put in a Freedom of Information (FoI) request about his dealings in Westminster and discovered he had no meetings with health ministers during peak campaigning between February and November last year.

The response does say he held “virtually weekly” informal meetings with officials and met Health Minister Phillip Dunne in December, after local health chiefs had decided to forge ahead with the HRI plan.

James O’Flynn, Colne Valley Labour Party chairman, said: “Surely the people of Huddersfield and Colne Valley deserve better than some cosy off-the-record chat in a Houses of Parliament corridor or bar?

“In the spirit of working across all parties on the hugely important issue of the NHS, I call on Mr McCartney to release any notes he has of his regular conversations with Department of Health ministers so the public can see what’s being discussed at the top of his Government about our local hospital.”

The Examiner raised the issue with Mr McCartney and he has issued a strong rebuttal to those who are challenging his record.

The Honley-based MP said he had met Health Secretary Jeremy Hunt alongside fellow MPs Barry Sheerman and Paula Sherriff last March.

And he revealed he has joined a powerful cross-party committee that is calling for a long-term plan to address NHS and social care funding and challenges. He said: ”One of the benefits of being an MP is having the ability to talk to ministers every week. “They are in no doubt about my opposition to what’s planned for HRI. “Only the week before last I spoke to the Chancellor about getting extra funding for social care to take the pressure off the NHS. “And only last week I was in the chamber late, raising the spectre of another expensive PFI deal to fund this HRI deal. “It’s a real shame the Colne Valley Labour Party want to waste precious resources with FOIs like this to make cheap political points rather than getting behind the fantastic community campaign to save our A&E, which has united our community. “That’s what I’m focused on.”