Clive Efford Bill Committee stage on 4 February 2015
Although there will not be time for the Bill to become law, it is going to Committee on 4 February. Members of the SLH campaign will attend.
Video of vigil from Stuart Monro
PHOTOS
VIGIL AND MEETING AROUND EFFORD BILL NOVEMBER 21ST 2014
Our campaign held a successful vigil outside Parliament today (Friday 21 November) as Clive Efford’s NHS Bill was debated inside Parliament. The Tories did not even turn up to defend their own Health and Social Care Act and the Bill was passed 241 – 18 to progress to its second reading and the committee stage. It is now vital that campaigners work hard to ensure that the Bill reaches this stage and is not blocked by the government.
We held a very successful meeting inside Parliament attended by over 50 campaigners from London and the rest of the country. Clive Efford spoke at length and was closely questioned by campaigners about the bill and Labour’s plans – some felt strongly that his bill did not go far enough and was not precise enough. Peter Roderick, who has played a leading role in the NHS Reinstatement Bill (see below) challenged Clive Efford on the wording of the clauses on the Secretary of State. Jacky Davies (KONP), Peter Roderick, barrister, working with the Queen Mary London University Public Health team, MPs Clive Efford and John MacDonald, SOS NHS GP Jackie Appleby, Darlo mum Joanne and Louise Irvine, chair of the Save Lewisham Hospital Campaign spoke.
Many campaigners spoke and raise questions and it was acknowledged by the meeting that campaigning to take to the Bill forward through the parliamentary process was essential.
MORE INFORMATION AND COMMENTARY
- See text of Clive Efford Bill here
- See House of Commons briefing paper here
- Letter from Brian Fisher to Labour health front bench putting forward problems we had identified with the Bill Click here
OUR DEMANDS
- Scrap the Health and Social Care Act.
- Stop blaming migrants for the NHS crisis.
- An end to cuts and an injection of cash to meet growing health care needs.
- Stop financially drive A&E, maternity, and GP closures
- Stop the cuts in mental health care beds and increase the funding to meet growing needs.
- An end to privatisation of the NHS
- No to TTIP
- Remove PFI burden on the NHS – say NO to PFI!
- A decent living wage for all NHS staff.
- Guarantee safe staffing/nursing levels
- We demand NHS based on public need not private greed.
Get involved in the consultation for the NHS Reinstatement Bill launched by Allyson Pollock and Peter Roderick
Download critique of Clive Efford Bill here from Allyson Pollock, Peter Roderick and David Price from Queen Mary University of London
On Friday 21 November Clive Efford MP’s private member’s bill will be discussed and voted on. See
http://epetitions.direct.gov.uk/petitions/68064
While the bill contains some small steps in the right direction it is not nearly enough and if we want to save the NHS we will have to campaign for far more profound changes.
The Save Lewisham Hospital campaign is organising a vigil at Parliament, and calling for NHS campaigners, trade unionists and anyone who cares about the future of the health service to join us.
We want to demonstrate mass opposition to the privatisation of the NHS, support the passing of the bill, and also put pressure on the Labour Party for a clearer and stronger stand.
Even if the bill becomes law, it does not go far enough to save and restore a comprehensive public health service. We need to increase the pressure for a clear stand on issues like reversing privatisation, marketisation and outsourcing; dealing with PFI debts; and reversing cuts.
After the vigil we will be holding a public meeting in Parliament with a range of prominent NHS activists from across the country (more details soon). But this will not just be a top table-dominated rally: it will be an opportunity to discuss the way forward for saving the NHS, including how we get a clearer commitment about what a Labour government will do.
Please get in touch for more information or to support the lobby savelewishamhospital@yahoo.com
“Even if the bill becomes law, it does not go far enough to save and restore a comprehensive public health service”
It has no intention whatsoever of going anywhere near there.
The contents of the bill, and critiques such as the one you link to demand you reassess support for this bill which DOES NOT DO what it says on the tin.
Sorry Save Lewisham Hospital, I have massive respect for the way you fought Jeremy Hunt and won and saved Lewisham Hospital, but I think you have been suckered here. Imo the Efford Bill is massively flawed and is in itself a stealth NHS privatisation bill, as Dr Lucy Reynolds’ Trojan Horse blog post on the NHA party website outlines.
Hi Jenny, we haven’t been suckered into anything. It was a tactical question to support it – limited though it was. It will now fall in any case. We have been involved in developing and promoting – the NHS Reinstatement bill – we will have to see how it all pans out after the election.
Best wishes
Olivia