Opinion, Watford Observer, 25 August 2024: Labour accused over Watford General Hospital rebuild | Watford Observer
We’ve all been there. A hasty shopping decision followed by regret a few days later. Since the general election, many local residents have described to us their own buyer’s remorse in voting Labour only to be betrayed by the new government and let down by the new Labour MP.
In barely two months, Labour have announced that our future hospital may not happen and that they will means-test the winter fuel allowance, punishing pensioners and making life harder for thousands of local residents. Meanwhile they are handing out massive pay rises to buy off their trade union backers. And even our own Labour MP is involved, having received some £18,000 in support from multiple trade unions.
Our former MP, Dean Russell, had tried to warn residents that Labour was hiding a spending review in the small print which meant that their ‘support’ for the new Watford General Hospital was meaningless. And it is simply not good enough for our new MP to hide behind the false claim that ‘the money wasn’t there’. The commitment had been made and the planned construction – over £1billion secured by Dean – was guaranteed in future budgets by a Conservative Government.
Labour have deliberately decided to put all this into question. At best, it’s a cynical ploy so they can re-announce the decision to fund the hospital in a shameful bid to take the credit for themselves. At worst the new hospital will be downgraded or may not happen – and not because the money wasn’t there but because they chose to use it to pay off their trade union backers instead.
And no doubt hard working residents will see tax rises to pay for all this.
It was a short-lived honeymoon before the reality of a Labour government hit home once again.
Stephen Woodard
Chairman, Watford Conservatives