Labour and the NHS

Thank you for this. I have always voted Labour and will continue to do so despite living in a Tory safe seat.

The Dr/MP should ask himself questions, how can you do both jobs properly. That's why the NHS is a mess,
Many Dr's do not work full time, that's why the Country is in a mess because many MP's only work part time. It will make o difference which ever party this chap is in,or any part-timer in any job.

Weaty

The Dr/MP should ask himself questions, how can you do both jobs properly. That's why the NHS is a mess,
Many Dr's do not work full time, that's why the Country is in a mess because many MP's only work part time. It will make o difference which ever party this chap is in,or any part-timer in any job.

Goodness. Should all women who are mothers stay at home because they can’t possibly do a job too?

Weaty

The Dr/MP should ask himself questions, how can you do both jobs properly. That's why the NHS is a mess,
Many Dr's do not work full time, that's why the Country is in a mess because many MP's only work part time. It will make o difference which ever party this chap is in,or any part-timer in any job.

I think perhaps party policies also have more of an influence on the country.

Part time MPs (solely backbenchers I think) should be looked at - but I don’t consider that the mess the country is in can be laid entirely at their door.

I am on the fence tbh with that. I do think that to have up to date knowledge of the working world is a benefit, but reading how Westminster works I am not sure what or if any benefit is passed and listened to by government. Very little I suspect.

Weaty

The Dr/MP should ask himself questions, how can you do both jobs properly. That's why the NHS is a mess,
Many Dr's do not work full time, that's why the Country is in a mess because many MP's only work part time. It will make o difference which ever party this chap is in,or any part-timer in any job.

Must say that’s what I thought when reading about this guy yesterday.How can he do both jobs properly?
And how long has he been an MP?
If he had been really keen on social justice regarding the poorest and preventing health issues then he would have been an MP for Labour from the start.

Casdon

Weaty

The Dr/MP should ask himself questions, how can you do both jobs properly. That's why the NHS is a mess,
Many Dr's do not work full time, that's why the Country is in a mess because many MP's only work part time. It will make o difference which ever party this chap is in,or any part-timer in any job.

Goodness. Should all women who are mothers stay at home because they can’t possibly do a job too?

He’s a man.
Being an MP should be a full time job.Or if he’s so keen to help the NHS then take a full time job as a doctor in a poor area and help that way.

Weaty. I agree it’s going to make no difference to the NHS if a MP who is also a doctor, a psychiatrist in this case?, crosses the floor.
Now we need to ask why. Did Poulter try to raise his concerns with the Department of Health and were they ignored? Exactly what mechanism is at play which keeps the status quo in place in the health sector? Is the NHS operating outside government? Or was Poulter aiming to abolish child poverty, an impossible task, when waiting lists in the NHS keep increasing ? And blah ….. it does prove that caring people can be Conservatives though. Ineffectual sadly.

It’s time to get real I think. Singling out one MP and criticising him for having more than one job is rich. According to The Guardian, the register of MPs' interests shows that more than 90 Conservative MPs undertake paid work in addition to their job in parliament, along with three Labour MPs. According to the BBC, "more than 200 MPs received earnings in the last year on top of their £81,932 annual salary. I’d much rather a doctor did work in the NHS as well as being a MP than some of the jobs other MPs do.

Ah, a psychiatrist not a GP.
Resigning and forcing a by election would have been better if making a point.

Discussion on Pouter/Labour NHS here too
www.gransnet.com/forums/news_and_politics/1335091-Another-Tory-MP-crosses-the-floor

There are other mp’s who continue to do some nhs work. I’m pleased to see this man defect from the tories and say why.

Oreo

Ah, a psychiatrist not a GP.
Resigning and forcing a by election would have been better if making a point.

He has apparently already said that he is not standing for re-election at the next GE. What would be the point of forcing a by-election in the dying days of a rotten government?

In principle though I do think those that change party should re-stand on the different manifesto.

Wwm2 why waste even more taxpayer’s money? Just for the sake of this argument, let’s assume the taxpayer pays!

ronib

Wwm2 why waste even more taxpayer’s money? Just for the sake of this argument, let’s assume the taxpayer pays!

Do you put a price on democracy?

Wwm2 empty gesture politics cost.

ronib

Wwm2 empty gesture politics cost.

The Rwanda Plan being a case in point.

I was wondering how a doctor in the NHS has the time to be an MP. Or how an MP has the time to be a doctor in the NHS.

Casdon to be fair, the Rwandan plan has been thwarted every step of the way. We are yet to see if it has any practical impact.
Spending £250000 approximately on a by election when the General Election is due in 6 months is crazy.

The MP’s. Who retain some nhs work are doing just that. I’d rather see that, than these MP’s who do well paid consultancy work. Currently we don’t have a rule preventing MP’s do other work.

ronib

Casdon to be fair, the Rwandan plan has been thwarted every step of the way. We are yet to see if it has any practical impact.
Spending £250000 approximately on a by election when the General Election is due in 6 months is crazy.

You think that the Rwanda plan has been 'thwarted'? Does this mean that you think that the government's plan should have gone ahead unchallenged because it is the government's plan?

Because if you do I think you completely misunderstand the principles behind our constitution and Parliamentary democracy.

Casdon

It’s time to get real I think. Singling out one MP and criticising him for having more than one job is rich. According to The Guardian, the register of MPs' interests shows that more than 90 Conservative MPs undertake paid work in addition to their job in parliament, along with three Labour MPs. According to the BBC, "more than 200 MPs received earnings in the last year on top of their £81,932 annual salary. I’d much rather a doctor did work in the NHS as well as being a MP than some of the jobs other MPs do.

Yes this! Most MPs do some form of paid 'work.' Some of which is being paid massive amounts for consultancies.

Whilst I support MPs being in the real world and grafting, I don't think they should be allowed to be paid by multi-national companies for doing little except represent those companies in parliament.

Rish Sunak is a good example of trying to make policies that benefit his own families finances.

It's all wrong.

Pouter worked 20 night shifts in the last year. Enough to stay on the doctors register and not too many to interfere with MP work.

I agree in general by elections should always be held, but with a GE so close I don't see how it can benefit the constituency in terms of the everyday work of supporting constituents.

Thanks for the info Wyllow3, it confirms my understanding that other nhs doctors have done this to maintain registration. As this mp has shown, it also ensures they know what’s really happening despite all the govt nonsense