Well they have a funny way of showing it.
For more than two decades of Labour, Tory and LibDem governments, privatisation has been happening. Under Boris Johnson's leadership, it's accelerating. Billions of pounds have been handed to private companies, many with Tory party links, during the coronavirus pandemic and private healthcare companies, including US health giants, are being given a foothold in our NHS.
In recent years public sector workers have suffered real terms pay cuts.
Local services in Brighton and beyond are under immense strain.
“I want to make sure our precious NHS is there for everyone. That’s why, as your MP, I have been standing up for the health service to remain in public ownership. We need investment in the NHS, not the cuts agreed by all the big parties”
Time and again in parliament, I've stood up for our NHS and backed:
- Public ownership of the NHS, Railways and other key services
- A real pay rise for public sector workers
- Proper funding for our health service
Funding public services
If we're serious about protecting public services, we need to be serious about how we fund them. I've been honest about the need for richer people to pay a little more in tax.
Public Services Users Bill
Inspired by the We Own It campaign, I put forward a new Public Services Users Bill to:
- make public ownership the default option before any service is sold off
- ensure people are asked – and genuinely listened to – before any service is put out to tender
- give the public a right to recall private companies if they’re running our services poorly
- make private companies running public services more transparent
Public ownership of our railways
It is time for the Government to admit that privatisation has failed on every count.
I want to see railways back in public hands. This would save taxpayers more than £1 billion a year and lead to lower fares and better services. To this end
- I launched a Railways Bill to bring the railway network back into public ownership
- I tabled a motion opposing the government’s backing for French and German control of the new Thameslink, Southern and Great Northern franchise
- I organised a formal petition from constituents to Parliament against high fares, delays and unreliable services provided by First Capital Connect and Southern
- I backed the campaign for a direct rail link between Brighton and London
Protecting the NHS
I'm passionate about protecting our health service.
- I was one of the first to back the NHS Reinstatement Bill which would see the re-establishment of public bodies and restoration of NHS in England as an accountable public service
- I helped challenge the Secretary of State being allowed to close down local hospitals without local people having a say
- I've campaigned to keep local health services out of private hands
Backing public health services in Brighton
- I'm keeping up the pressure for Brighton & Hove to get a new hospital
- I'm the only MP calling for new contracts there to be awarded to publicly owned suppliers
- I'm backing local health initiatives, including Bright-PIP, a parent-infant mental health service
- I'm demanding action and new resources to tackle delays in A&E at the Royal Sussex Hospital
- I've campaigned for local sexual health and drug and alcohol support services to stay in public ownership
A new way of tackling drugs
- I'm leading the Parliamentary campaign for an evidence-based drugs policy which treats addiction as a health problem rather than a criminal one
