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Heseltine’s hyperbole
What planet does Tory Lord Heseltine occupy when in the opulent surroundings of London’s Mansion House he tells an audience of business leaders that Liverpool is one of the “leading lights” of the “Northern Powerhouse”? (Quoted in the Liverpool Echo, 18 February 2016.)
Bloated with the self-satisfaction befitting a ‘freeman of the city’ – gifted by Labour’s Mayor Anderson – he declared: “Liverpool has a real opportunity to shape its own destiny and it will be important to set clear priorities for investment for it to really thrive”.
Just who stands to thrive?
The same Echo reports: “Liverpool NHS jobs face the axe because of community health funding cuts. Up to 30 NHS staff in Liverpool could lose their jobs as services including exercise classes for dementia patients face the axe.” This adds to the £340 million already slashed from social provision.
This shows the glaring contrast between the Tories’ mendacious hyperbole and the reality of life for thousands of the city’s people whose lives are damaged.
Words aren’t enough. The council should declare “enough is enough” and take any measures necessary to protect our people.
Tony Mulhearn, Liverpool
Nurses narked
An article was recently published in the Socialist relating to the demise of mental health care in the NHS. (See socialistparty.org.uk, ‘Mental health: system in crisis’.)
A paragraph mentioned agency staff not daring to speak out on issues as they can find themselves out of a job. All nurses must speak out about poor care. I am a general nurse, employed full time on an NHS contract.
Nursing has been a choice of occupation for hard-working working class girls or grammar school mavericks. There will be fewer nurses from working class backgrounds, as they need support during their training and the entrance grades become unattainable. This is class war.
The agencies are reinforcing the road to privatisation. This government would rather throw money at agencies like Thornbury, whose boss is a Tory donor.
Sandra Smith, staff nurse
Con crime con
I remember that the Tories always used to brag about being the party of ‘law and order’.
My sister works as a witness care officer for Sussex Police. Her job is to ensure that police witnesses attend court to give evidence at trial.
She often has to listen to very harrowing stories from domestic violence and rape victims. It can be traumatic and rewarding at the same time.
As a result of the Tory government’s continued obsession with austerity, a third of those jobs are to go. This is after they have ‘cut costs’ by combining some back-office functions with neighbouring Surrey Police.
While the government can find limitless money for wars, or efforts to keep refugees out, thereby keeping the racist pot boiling as a diversion from the damage they are causing to people’s lives, they can’t find the money to protect ordinary people from crime.
