Protect our NHS BANES have surprisingly decided to empty chair the Conservative Party at this week’s hustings. The Prospective Conservative MP, Ben Howlett, was unable to attend due to a prior diary commitment. Initially Ben had arranged for Councillor Paul May to attend in his absence. Paul is heavily involved in local health matters in and around Bath. The response from the hustings organiser Pam Richards was “I have emailed Paul May with details but I have stressed that as this is a General Election then most of the questions (based on past experience) will be about national policies on the NHS and social care.”
In light of this, Ben arranged for Dr Andrew Murrison, the Prospective Conservative MP for South West Wiltshire to attend. Dr Murrison is a fully qualified doctor and served as a naval medical officer until 2000. The response from the hustings organiser was somewhat surprising “I relayed your offer of an alternative panel member to the other PPCs immediately I received the email from your office. The unanimous response was that it was inappropriate for a PPC and MP from another constituency to sit on a Bath hustings panel. The Protect Our NHS Action team were of the same opinion.”
Ben said of the situation “It is commonplace in election campaigns for neighbouring candidates to help with hustings in this manner. Indeed next week where I am unable to attend the Bath Stop the War hustings, the organisers are delighted that Dr Murrison is to stand in my place which does not seem to be an issue for the other candidates. Dr Murrison would be able to answer the national issues for Protect our NHS BANES in an exemplary manner. I spoke to other candidates at hustings last night, who had no issue with Dr Murrison attending. I remain concerned that Protect our NHS BANES has their own political agenda and are not interested in having an accurate Conservative viewpoint in the room.
I hope that those attending the event will be fully aware that the decision not to have a Conservative voice in the room has been the decision of Protect Our NHS rather than my own, and I am sure will draw their own conclusions. The NHS remains something I am passionate about and as detailed in my 2015 plan I will continue to Champion Local NHS Services, as I did during my period as Member of Parliament for Bath.”