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View from the Commons-More of the same?
October 1, 2007 12:00 AM
We now have a new Prime Minister - although no one not even Labour Party members had any say in the matter. What though if anything will change? Gordon has trailed some changes in the way Government works -but will any policies change or will it just be more of the same? On policy Gordon says he wants to tackle the NHS, Crime and Housing, but where has he been for the last 10 years? The answer is that he has been at the centre of Government as Blair's number two and controller of the purse strings.
When Chesterfield's Royal Hospital was told to cut 10% from its budget between 2006-2009, the resulting losses in nurses and midwives jobs were Brown's direct responsibility.
When Chesterfield Borough Council, like all other Councils, was told to privatise its houses or be discriminated against financially, that was Brown's policy as Chancellor of the Exchequer. Over £3Million per year (and rising to £5Million), stolen away from Chesterfield Council Tenants rents -that's Brown. Council rent increases of more than inflation every year and every extra penny going to London instead of being spent on Chesterfield Council Houses -that's Brown. Council House waiting lists trebling -that's Brown.
Tackling crime would be a good idea! Derbyshire's police force however is the fourth lowest funded in the country - that's the Chancellor of the Exchequers fault. Someone called Gordon Brown. Derbyshire has 240 less police officers than even Nottinghamshire which is another low funded police authority, who controls the purse strings? Gordon Brown.
The list goes on and on. Derbyshire's schools, Fire Service and Social Services are among the lowest funded in the country - well Gordon has been in charge of the money ever since 1997. Yet he is happy to sign off on £75Billion to pay for a new generation of Trident submarines and their nuclear missiles. The illegal and disastrous invasion of Iraq?-Brown voted for it and signed Billion's of pounds worth of cheques to pay for it. Expensive Nuclear Power and long term radioactive waste instead of clean renewable energy -that's Brown.
Over the last 10 years media and voters have learned that they must read the small print of Brown's budgets before believing the upfront spin. As with his recent '2p off Income Tax which is actually to be paid for by ending the 10p tax rate and so making the poorest pay more. The same applies to his hype now. I hope he really does change the policies he supported and paid for over the last 10 years but so far, on Iraq, Trident, Nuclear Power and so much else the message seem to be -more of the same?
Yours, Paul
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