The Conservative victory in the Copeland by-election was astonishing. Governing parties are supposed to lose seats, not win ones they’ve not held in 80 years. I welcome the result of course. But country always comes before party, and the current state of the Opposition is not good for the UK. I also take no pleasure in seeing Labour MPs in such disarray. There is real talent in the Labour parliamentary party. It needs to be back on the front bench where it belongs.
So Jeremy Corbyn needs to take a long, hard, look at himself. Strong democracies need strong oppositions. Corbyn is simply failing to deliver.
In other news, I spoke out in a debate this week about the need to improve the safety of NHS staff. The shocking reality is that there are nearly 200 assaults on doctors, nurses and paramedics every single day in England. It’s disgraceful. No one working in Cheltenham General Hospital, GPs’ surgeries or elsewhere, should ever be subject to violence when they’re simply trying to do their job.
So what’s the best approach? Some MPs suggested that we need a new offence. I’m not against that necessarily, but it cannot be a substitute for resources to bring offenders to book. Without manpower to investigate and to prosecute, new statutes are a waste of ink. The reality is that victims don’t care whether their assailant is prosecuted under section 39 or section 86 of the relevant Act. As I said in the debate: “When a member of staff in A&E has cause to make a complaint to the police that they have been spat at or abused, the police should turn up, arrest the individual and throw the book at them. Shiny new legislation will not in itself achieve that. What is needed is the will and resources to make it happen… Those who go out of their way to work in our public services need to know that the law is on their side.”
I was delighted that at the end of the debate the Minister agreed to investigate this issue. I’ll be watching closely for a response that ensures that any changes are backed up by proper resources.
When it comes to those who put others first, nothing less will do.