News

A Crisis Within a Crisis

I’ve written before about the crisis within social care. In many parts of the UK, this is being compounded by ...
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An Open Letter to Craig Mackinlay MP

AN OPEN LETTER TO CRAIG MACKINLAY MP Dear Craig, Labour created the NHS in the teeth of opposition from the ...
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Solidarity with Kurds in Syria

The vulnerability of the Kurds in Northern Syria is turning into a humanitarian disaster. People are being attacked and killed ...
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Is this the end of our A&E?

At a fringe meeting at the Conservative Party conference on 30 September 2019, Boris Johnson announced that a new hospital ...
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Statement by Save Our NHS in Kent to Thanet District Council

On 5 September 2019, I was honoured to read out a statement on behalf of Save Our NHS in Kent ...
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Defending Democracy

On 30 August 2019, an impromptu demonstration was arranged outside the office of South Thanet MP, Craig Mackinlay, to protest ...
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Work Until You Drop Under the Conservatives

A month ago, Boris Johnson became Prime Minister and put together a terrifyingly right-wing cabinet. The ideological vultures began to ...
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NHS Privatisation 2.0

In a very worrying development, privatisation of the NHS may be entering a whole new phase. Private contractors are being ...
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Join Hands for Our Hospital

I was immensely proud to speak at Save Our NHS in Kent's demonstration of support for Queen Elizabeth the Queen ...
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Policy Officer of South Thanet Labour

I'm delighted to announce that I've been elected as Policy Officer of South Thanet Labour Party. This post was created ...
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Jennie Formby’s Report on Antisemitism

On Monday 22 July 2019, the General Secretary of the Labour Party, Jennie Formby, presented a report to the Parliamentary ...
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Health Services in Thanet

I spent Tuesday afternoon on the parliamentary estate with representatives from clinical commissioning groups (CCGs) and public health bodies. They ...
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Southeastern Rail Franchise

The Southeastern franchise has been extended to 10 November 2019, with an option to renew until 1 April 2020. While ...
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South Thanet Labour Party candidate Rebecca Gordon-Nesbitt, from Ramsgate, wins fight to be cleared over alleged antisemitism row on Twitter

On Friday 10 May, I attended a day-long hearing with the National Constitutional Committee, the Labour Party's disciplinary body. I ...
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A Picture of Hypocrisy

How hypocritical of South Thanet's Conservative MP, Craig Mackinlay, to take a selfie for Twitter with Trussell Trust volunteers collecting ...
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Protest to Save Our Stroke Unit

Health commissioners want to close the stroke unit at Thanet's only hospital. If this is allowed to happen, stroke sufferers ...
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Building a Thriving Thanet: A Community Conversation

On 5 December 2018, we held the second event in the Building a Thriving Thanet series – a community conversation ...
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Labour Parliamentary hopeful horrified by racist sticker placed on her home

It was horrifying to learn that the National Front is still active in South Thanet. I offered the following comment ...
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A Hanukkah Message

This week, Jewish communities around the world are celebrating Hanukkah (pronounced kha-nu-kah). This eight-day festival of lights commemorates victory over ...
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National Front poster covers Labour display

I was recently disturbed to discover that someone had slapped a National Front sticker on my front window, partially obscuring ...
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Building a Thriving Thanet: Neil McInroy public talk

On Friday 23 November, as part of Building a Thriving Thanet, we were honoured to be visited by Neil McInroy, ...
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Jobs: Why Young People Are the Hardest Hit

For my November column in Isle of Thanet News, I look at the gloomy job prospects facing young people in ...
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Thriving Thanet talk

A quick reminder about the public talk on local wealth-building courtesy of Thanet Gazette. Come and join us on Friday ...
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We need more mental health care, not less

When Thanet Clinical Commissioning Group took the decision not to recommission Thanet's vital Thinkaction mental health hub, a spokesman claimed ...
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Jeremy Corbyn’s Statement on Govt Brexit Deal

The government is falling apart before our eyes. Their half-baked deal has unravelled, the Prime Minister has lost all authority ...
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Holding NHS Managers to Account Over A&E Services in East Kent

On Tuesday 13 November, NHS managers held a 'listening event' about A&E services in East Kent. They presented two options ...
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Keys to prosperity in the north’s great cities

On 1 November 2018, the Guardian ran an article about the radical economic transformation that's under way in Preston. I ...
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Thanet’s hidden homeless

No one can have failed to notice the shocking rise of homelessness in the UK. This has more than doubled ...
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Building a Thriving Thanet

I'm standing for Parliament because I want South Thanet to thrive. For autumn 2018, we're kicking off a series of ...
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Thinkaction mental health support in Thanet has closed but here’s where you can go for support

I was pleased to be quoted in this article on Thanet's potentially deadly mental health crisis. But some of the ...
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Thanet’s mental health crisis and the loss of a vital service

The Isle of Thanet News, 26 October 2018 The word ‘crisis’ is overused in politics these days, but it seems perfectly appropriate to ...
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North Thanet MP Sir Roger Gale brands Canterbury ‘super-hospital’ proposal as “unworkable”

In response to plans for a Kent 'super-hospital', I was quoted in today's Isle of Thanet News as follows: I ...
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Proposals for east Kent hospitals could mean A&E and other services moved from Margate to new Canterbury site

Today's Isle of Thanet News reported on controversial proposals to move key hospital services from Margate to Canterbury. I was ...
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The public will be barred from a council meeting

I'm proud to stand shoulder to shoulder with Cllr Ian Venables who has been the victim of bureaucratic bungling by Thanet District ...
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Protestors in Battle to Save QEQM Stroke Unit

I was pleased to be quoted in the Thanet Gazette, below, in relation to the recent QEQM stroke unit protest: ...
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Hundreds join in stroke protest

The stroke protest outside QEQM on 6th October was well-documented in Wednesday's Thanet Extra ...
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The State of Health in East Kent

I was pleased to be invited to summarise the state of health in East Kent for the website of Labour ...
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QEQM Margate protesters shout ‘save our NHS’

I'm pleased to be quoted at length in this Thanet Gazette article on today's stroke protest: “Sir Roger, who declined ...
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Save Our Stroke Services at QEQM

Save Our NHS in Kent (SONiK) – of which I’m a member – called a protest against the decision of ...
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Hundreds turn out in protest at plans to remove stroke unit from Margate’s QEQM Hospital

Following the protest outside QEQM on 6th October, I was pleased to be quoted at length in the Isle of ...
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Sunday Politics South East

Thanks to Sunday Politics South East for visiting Ramsgate to interview me for their feature about Labour's election prospects in the region ...
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South East Today – Proposed Tax on Holiday Homes

Talking to Helen Catt on BBC South East about how the party’s proposed tax on holiday homes could work for ...
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Not a done deal

In September 2018, the people of Thanet heard the devastating news that QEQM hadn't made it onto the list of ...
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Back to School

This week, South Thanet Labour Party organised a mass campaign at schools across the constituency. Activists handed leaflets to parents at ...
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MP needs to take another look at the facts

On 7 September 2018, a public meeting was held in Ramsgate to discuss the future of Manston Airport. On the same day, ...
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For the Many…

In the late summer of 2018, we produced and distributed our first constituency-wide newsletter, introducing our parliamentary campaign to the ...
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To Have and Have Yacht

For August, I used my monthly column in Isle of Thanet News to highlight the growing gap between the have ...
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South Thanet Labour Party at Margate Pride

South Thanet Labour Party was out in force at Margate Pride, a great celebration of diversity in Thanet. The march, ...
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South Thanet MP Muddies the Water with Canterbury Option

Having consistently refused to condemn the potential loss of stroke services from Thanet's QEQM Hospital, South Thanet MP, Craig Mackinlay, ...
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South Thanet MP Craig Mackinlay Blasted Over Threatened Closure of Stroke Service Unit at Margate’s QEQM Hospital

MP Craig Mackinlay has been accused of “failing people at risk of stroke in his constituency”. Labour parliamentary candidate Rebecca ...
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Foster Home Ban in Most Deprived Area

Article in Thanet Extra on Thanet District Council's plan to ban foster homes in Cliftonville West: Labour's parliamentary candidate for ...
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Why Thanet Should Care About Children in Care

The Conservative-controlled Thanet District Council is seeking to ban foster homes in Cliftonville West as a 'solution' to problems caused ...
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Plan to Ban Foster Homes is Short Sighted

On 21 July, Thanet District Council will debate a plan to ban foster homes in its poorest ward, Cliftonville West ...
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Multi-Faith Community Clean-Up

On 12 July 2018, more than 20 volunteers came together to clean up parts of Ramsgate, including Rabbi Cliff Cohen ...
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Letter to Thanet Extra on Housing

My letter on housing published in this week's Thanet Extra under the header People come before profit. The full text ...
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NHS 70th Birthday Celebration

On 7 July, the Labour Party celebrated the 70th birthday of our greatest achievement – the National Health Service. We ...
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Live Animal Exports Protest in Metro

On 28 June, three lorries packed full of live sheep were taken to the Port of Ramsgate for export. They ...
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Live Animal Exports Protest in Thanet Gazette

On 28 June, three lorries packed full of live sheep were taken to the Port of Ramsgate for export. They ...
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RGN on Cliftonville’s Litter in the Daily Mail

Here's something I never thought I'd see – me in the Daily Mail. Almost everyone I speak to agrees that ...
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RGN on the State of Thanet’s GP Surgeries

In advance of the second Save Our NHS in Kent (SONiK) conference, I used my new monthly column in the ...
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RGN on the Closure of Ramsgate NHS Dentists

I was asked by a fellow member of South Thanet Labour Party to look into the closure of two NHS ...
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Report on behalf of Save Our NHS in Kent

On Saturday 24 March, health commissioners for Kent and Medway organised a ‘listening event’ in St Peters (Broadstairs) as part ...
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A short film about Save Our NHS in Kent

Jujia Li made a short film about Save Our NHS in Kent and the campaign to protect stroke services at ...
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Demonstration to Protect Stroke Services at QEQM Hospital

Under plans drawn up by health commissioners for Kent and Medway, stroke services will move from Queen Elizabeth the Queen ...
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On the Eve of the Demonstration to Protect Stroke Services at QEQM Hospital

The Isle of Thanet News ran a story about the proposed loss of stroke services from Queen Elizabeth the Queen Mother ...
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Background to the Defend Our NHS conference, South Thanet Labour Party

On 27 January 2018, Save Our NHS in Kent (SONiK) organised a meeting to discuss the cuts and closures planned ...
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