Political Round-Up

Political round-up Opinions expressed do not necessarily reflect those of the publisher Conflict has strong Falklands parallels

Christchurch’s South Atlantic Medal Association was founded by Bill McAlester, a Falklands veteran, to bring together other veterans from that war. Although it is the only such association in Dorset, it has become the model for many similar organisations nationwide. It was, therefore, a delight to be able to attend Christchurch SAMA’s special drumhead service and celebration to mark the 40th anniversary. That conflict was notable for the way in which the courage and expertise of our armed forces was bolstered by the decisive and determined political leadership of Margaret Thatcher. While it is invidious to make comparisons with Ukraine, there are strong parallels with the way our patriotic soldiers, sailors and airmen defied the odds against a largely conscript army controlled by a dictator. Let us hope that President Zelenksy can do likewise. n Many will share my scepticism that the last thing our NHS needs is further organisational change. But that is what is entailed with the establishment of the Dorset Integrated Care Board which comes into operation today, July 1. It is designed to work with the Integrated Care Partnership to improve the quality of health and social care in Dorset. I was pleased to meet Jenni Douglas-Todd, the board’s chairman, and to be able to raise with her the priorities of my constituents. Top of the list was the shortage of hospital beds in Dorset. She confirmed that Dorset has fewer hospital beds per head of population than anywhere else in the country despite having a much higher proportion of elderly people. She told me, however, that effective, integrated care systems can halve the demand on hospitals. My response was that as soon as such a reduction in demand is achieved, the number of beds can be reduced but, in the meantime, we need to increase our bed capacity to match demand. Jenni admitted that NHS productivity in Dorset has been falling. She believed, however, that the new Integrated Board would rectify this and cited the example of the new streamlined referral system for giving patients direct access to specialist consultants. I shall be interested to hear from readers about their experiences. n I am pessimistic about reform of the European Court of Human Rights whose judges have prevented some of those who have arrived in the UK illegally being transferred to Rwanda for the processing of their asylum claims. One of my roles as a member of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe is to serve on the committee which interviews candidates to serve as judges. It is a continual struggle to try and find lawyers who are happy to apply the law while respecting the sovereignty of elected democratic governments.

Christchurch & East Dorset CHRIS CHOPE MP

The irony of collectively-caused strikes

At the moment every Labour representative is demanded to answer whether they support or condemn the rail strikes. No nuance, no middle ground. You’re either on the picket line, or you’re against collective bargaining and the right to withhold your labour. Is it any wonder when our politics is so binary that the sides in the dispute have failed to reach a negotiated settlement? There is a middle ground here - both for politicians and for the negotiators. We should all support workers who, after already having a real terms wage cut during the Pandemic, now just want, just need even, a pay rise that goes some way towards helping them with rampant inflation. We all need it. Yet we can also be angry about the disruption of the strikes and the damage they’ve done to the economy, school exams and the environment. I had to drive all the way to Hull and back for work during the strike rather than taking the train and I was not happy! How many RMT shop stewards does it take to change a plug socket? Nine, apparently. It’s a cliched and no doubt unrepresentative example but, by refusing to modernise working practices until now, the union leaves itself vulnerable to Tory attacks. It seems like there’s been a ‘landing zone’ for a settlement on the table for weeks. A pay rise of about 5% in exchange for removal of outmoded working practices. 5% would still be a real terms cut, but I do get the point that wage discipline is needed to help tackle inflation. It’s painful, but we must all be prepared to endure it. This should be the case for all pay grades though. No industry execs should be getting doubledigit increases or six-figure bonus payouts. And it should also be the case for pensions. I cannot fathom why it’s acceptable to give an inflationary increase to the state pension but not those of working age on low incomes. Anyway, back to the point. I don’t accept the false, binary choice to either support the ‘strikes’ or the ‘strivers’. I choose to support all working people across the country needing a pay rise. And I’m really annoyed at the Government, Network Rail, the train companies and the unions. They have all failed. They failed to negotiate properly and they collectively caused these strikes.

n Support for RMT at Glasto

Dorset Labour GREG WILLIAMS

Tablers get round to business

John Adams, above right, a previous Bournemouth mayor was recently elected as chairman of Ringwood Ex-Tablers (41) club. Elected vice chairman at the same meeting was Derek Scott, above left, currently a Ringwood councillor. John is also currently chairman of Christchurch and East Dorset Conservatives. Ringwood ex-tablers is a vibrant club with more than 70 members but still welcomes applications from potential new members. And a group of Ringwood Ex-Tablers recently attended tea with Edward Fox MBE, above, star of many films such as Day Of The Jackal, Gandhi and Battle Of Britain.

Cost of living help

by Faith Eckersall

Residents who wouldn’t usually ask for help are being encouraged to reach out for support early as the cost of living bites. Dorset Council says it knows that while many people who have needed help before may be confident asking for support, the cost of living is now impacting people who may not know where to start. To help them, it’s launched a Cost Of Living page. The page places advice and support on money, access to food, housing, support for children, mental health, wellbeing and employment, all in one place. People can check if they’re eligible for benefits, free school meals, low tariffs for utilities and grants. Specialist help is also available over the phone, in person and online from Dorset Citizens Advice, which can talk about money, consumer, housing and other issues. And older residents are being supported by Age UK to access advice and financial help. Those in fuel poverty (spending more than 10 per cent of their household income on energy costs) or on a low income, can apply for supermarket vouchers. Similar assistance is available for BCP Council area residents, where the authority is working in partnership with Citizens Advice BCP to administer the Household Support Fund. Applications for eligible pensioners and working age people are open. Visit dorsetcouncil.gov. uk/cost-of-living-help and citizensadvicebcp.org.uk/hsf.

MMXXI I

The home of Country House opera in South West England featuring renowned soloists and full orchestra

Marquee Bar | Picnics | Formal Dining

Giacomo Puccini MANON LESCAUT

25, 28, 30 July at 19:00 | Matinée 27 July at 14:00 Sung in Italian with English surtitles

Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart THE MAGIC FLUTE

26, 27, 29 July at 19:00 | Matinée 30 July at 14:00 Sung in English with surtitles