Liz Kendall MP: Conference is more than a showcase for the party leader
As you read this, I'll be on my way to Manchester for Labour's annual conference, writes Leicester West MP Liz Kendall. It's a time when party members, councillors and activists from across the country come together to discuss the key issues in their communities and what Labour should do to address them.
The only thing most people see of conference – if anything at all – is a clip of the party leader's speech on TV.
-
The speech is an important opportunity for the leader to set out what they believe in, their vision for the country, and their plans for the future.
But conference is about far more than this.
SUNDAY OPEN BUFFET EAT AS MUCH AS U CAN £6.99PP & A LA CARTE...
Leicester's ONLY Lebanese Cuisine - Cedars Bar & Restaurant 46/48 Church Gate Leicester LE1 4AJ
View detailsCome & Try our Delicious Menu with an Amazing 15% off all Food Bills on a la carte menu only
Terms: Lebanese & Mediterenian Menu With An Amazing 15% Off Your Food Bills on a la carte menu only
Contact: 0116 2169184
Valid until: Sunday, May 26 2013
One of the things I like best is all the fringe meetings you can go to. These are events with three or four speakers, followed by an often lively discussion and questions and answers from the audience.
In Manchester there will be fringe meetings on any and every subject under the sun: how we can improve childcare services; what should be done to support small businesses and help people get the education, skills and training they need; the steps we need to take to protect our environment; and the best way to make our streets safe and tackle anti-social behaviour.
These are all issues that really matter to us in Leicester, so one of my jobs this week will be to attend a range of fringe events and explain my constituents' experiences, views and concerns.
I'll also be speaking at several events in my national role as the shadow minister for care and older people.
Of course, I'll be talking about the impact the Government's terrible decisions are having on the NHS and local care services. However, I will also be spelling out what Labour would do if we were in Government.
Everywhere I go, both here in Leicester and nationally, I see the fantastic work, dedication and commitment of NHS and social care staff.
But I also see the challenges, many of which existed even before the current economic crisis.
The biggest of these is how we help people live healthier lives by preventing avoidable illnesses and supporting people to stay fit and independent for as long as possible.
This isn't just better for individuals and their families, it also saves the taxpayer money by reducing the need for more expensive hospital or residential care.
The way we do this is by shifting the focus of local services into the community and at home and by properly joining up local NHS and council services so they're one seamless system. We also need to support people to take more control and responsibility for their own health.
Instead of concentrating on these issues, the Government has wasted two years and billions of pounds on a reckless back-room NHS reorganisation.
People want to know there is an alternative – on the economy and the future of our public services. That's what I and my Labour colleagues will be discussing in Manchester next week.
Comments
by Bob491
Saturday, September 29 2012, 10:26PM
“Andrew Bridgen pays himself more for six hours easy work than one of his 17 year old constituents could expect to earn on basic wage for an entire year of full time work.
This is incredibly greedy and selfish and an amazing kick in the teeth for all his hard working young constituents.
And where has garyb criticised the amount of money PM Cameron has decreed should be grabbed by a PCC? £75,000 in Leicestershire, £100,000 in Birmingham, and for what exactly?
Liz Kendall does a great job and with all the improvements made to the NHS under Labour there are many more older people around to enjoy it.
But that is rapidly changing with the Con government insisting on their own Con donor private health companies profiteering from the lucrative parts of the NHS. In future much of our tax payers money will be siphoned off into private company directors' pockets instead of being used for the public good. And no doubt many will avoid paying tax on it as they should. Absolutely disgusting.”
by garyb2011
Saturday, September 29 2012, 10:04PM
“Mr Bridgen pays himselffrom the business he owns and built. If the business cannot sustain the cost it fails
SPS gets paid from the tax on the work that the rest of us do. If he fails - we keep paying till he dies (because that's the way public sector pensions works - with the exception of the LGPS)
Anyway, glad to see that you seek not to contront the failures of LIz in her time of influence. Too difficult to explain away though isnt it?”
by Bob491
Saturday, September 29 2012, 9:41PM
“garyb, you continually harp on about the amounts of money Liz Kendall, Sir Peter Soulsby etc are earning for around 60 to 70 hours a week hard work.
So why have I never seen a comment from you criticising the £75,000 that will be taken by the new Police and Crime Commissioner, who after all will have little responsibility and not much of importance to do. The Chief Constable has all the responsibility and does all the work. Some PCCs will I believe be gifted as much as £100,000 because of our dishonest PM's whim.
And how often have you complained about Andrew Bridgen MP who on top of his MPs salary pays himself no less than £93,000 for a mere 60 or 70 hours a year (just six hours a month) according to figures published in the Leicester Mercury.
Is this a severe case of double standards?”
by garyb2011
Saturday, September 29 2012, 9:20PM
“Eh Bob - don't worry - Liz is still pulling £60k+ and a final salary pension.
But she is just is sooooooo concerned about old people. Shame she didn't do anything about it when she had the ear of Gordon and the two Ed's isn't it?”
by Bob491
Saturday, September 29 2012, 9:13PM
“Perhaps the local Council will put on a reading, comprehension, writing and spelling course for right wing fanatics.
There seems to be a desperate need for one, doesn't there!
ps if the over-wealthy tax avoiders paid their taxes as they should, there wouldn't be a need to drastically cut NHS budgets, would there.”
by garyb2011
Saturday, September 29 2012, 8:16PM
“And she thinks that this would make people want to vote for her.
Didn't even know Leicester existed before a safe seat came up
Also as she was a helath adviser in the last Governemt I guess that the problems we face have nothing to do with her?
Parasite”
by LestaLM
Saturday, September 29 2012, 5:47PM
“I suppose if the Labour Party had not wasted billions of our money on bailing out their friends in the bankrupt banking industry then we'd have billions to spend on other things, Oh, and Ms Kendall, will you apologise for the open-door immigration policy that your Labour Party adopted which has seen a massive strain being put on local services such as health and schools not to mention the eroding of the terms and conditions of employment that the working class British have had to endure due to your policy of opening up the jobs market to millions from 3rd world Eastern Europe ?”