THE PERSONAL MANIFESTO OF

PARLIAMENTARY CANDIDATE FOR WYRE FOREST

GENERAL ELECTION 5 MAY 2005

The honour of being your Independent MP that you gave me at the last election has been a great privilege that I have appreciated deeply. I have tried to vote only when I have fully understood the matter under debate, and then to exercise wisely the opportunity of voting with the Government when I have believed them to be correct or at least to have the best proposals, and against them if I have believed that another Party offers the better option.

I hope you will re-elect me to continue this unique opportunity of representing you as an Independent MP without the influence of a main political party whip.

I have forged excellent links with local staff and executives in education, health, the police and at the County and District Councils and I hope to continue to use these for the benefit of all local people.

Education 

Local schools

After the trauma of the Wyre Forest review it is essential to make sure that the transition from the three-tier system to two tiers goes smoothly with as little disruption to the children’s education as possible, and that the result of the change fulfils the predictions of those who voted for it that the quality and outcomes of education for all Wyre Forest children will improve. I am concerned for the future of staff of our closing schools and about the affordability of the extra buildings and facilities needed to accommodate the new system.

I support the recent Parliamentary Health Select Committee Report on Obesity that recommended reformulation of the Food Technology curriculum, healthy eating in schools, Government guidance to schools on the use of vending machines, increased exercise through safer routes to walk or cycle to schools and recognition of obesity in children by weighing and measuring children annually. Several of these points have been given the Government’s support in the recent Public Health White Paper.

If re-elected I will continue to visit local schools to observe and discuss the progress of implementation of the transition and to discuss health issues, some of which are already being addressed. 

Wider issues affecting education

Area Cost Adjustment
During the last Parliament all local MPs were aware of the unfairness for Worcestershire children of the method of calculating area cost adjustment that leaves children in this county with less money per head for education than children over the borders in Shropshire or Birmingham. The unfairness occurs because Worcestershire has been labelled as a low-wage area. Work commissioned by the County Council has disproved this and so there is further ammunition to continue the battle by MPs to redress this intolerable situation after the election.

City Academies
Although I can see the attraction for schools that aspire to this status I fear that neighbouring schools could be disadvantaged in comparison. We need to study the proposals and their possible consequences very carefully before supporting the concept.

School meals
I welcome the Government announcement of £280 million to improve school meals. Believing that this might not be "new" money other than that already announced in allocations to Local Education Authorities, as has happened before with NHS "new" funding announcements, I checked this with the Schools Minister. To my relief £235 million of it is indeed "new" money for schools and LEAs from the Department's reserves. Primary schools will now be able to spend a minimum of 50p on ingredients and secondary schools 60p. The other £45 million comes from lottery money towards a new School Trust Fund to provide independent advice about healthy school meals. 

Exams
I support all measures to improve learning in basic English and Maths whatever the system of examinations. I also welcome the move towards more vocational diplomas and the recognition that University Degrees should not be the only worthwhile aim of school education.

Tuition Fees
Let no one say a single vote never counts! At the tuition fees division in the House of Commons I was approached by Whips from both sides to know which way I was going to vote. In the end the majority in favour of these fees that will put students into vast debt before they can start earning was only five. I voted against tuition fees as I consider there are alternative ways of funding University training that would not put students into debt in this demoralising way.

The future of education will be one of the key issues at this election. As an Independent candidate I have the privilege of supporting whichever of the proposals of major parties that I believe are right.

Health Issues

Locally, improvements in our hospital services are beginning. It is vital that I am still in the position to keep the pressure on the local Trust managers and clinicians.
I will continue to press for: -
• increased inpatient surgery. The people of Worcester and Redditch now recognise that their hospitals cannot cope with all the work thrown at them and are pressing for our hospital to do more of the work to relieve the pressure.
• re-instatement of the midwife-led birth centre first to provide postnatal care and then, when shown to be safe as are similar units in Suffolk and Cumbria, to recommence normal deliveries for fit mothers. The necessary protocols for selection for admission and for dealing with the rare unexpected complication must be in place as they are at other birth centres.
• a doctor in Kidderminster Hospital's urgent care centre for 24 hours per day so that the range of emergency patients assessed and treated locally can be increased. It is good that the merger of the minor injuries unit and the primary care centre means there is now a doctor in the unit out-of hours, but wholly unsatisfactory that there is still no doctor available during working hours.
• a pharmacy at the hospital to supply urgent prescriptions for outpatients and day cases and drugs for the increasing numbers of inpatients soon to be admitted
• improved continuity of care and communication between staff and patients in all hospitals we use. 


Nationally, I will continue to support the ideals of the National Health Service. 

• I welcome the extra funding going into the NHS if it is aimed at improving the NHS rather than increasing the involvement of the private sector. 
• I shall watch for problems of affordability that are expected to arise from the wholesale use of the private finance initiative in building new hospitals. 
• I shall point out when NHS hospitals face financial difficulties due to the diversion of funds to the private sector under unfair terms. 
• I welcome the Government white paper on public health and will follow developments carefully to make sure the Government is translating words into action for sickness prevention.
• There have been more than twenty re-organisations of the NHS in the last twenty years. I will press for a period of stability and less interference with clinicians and managers so that they can concentrate on their job of caring for patients with emphasis on greater continuity of care and better communication with patients and families. Failings in these two aspects of care are the basis of most of the hospital complaints that I receive now.
• I welcome the Government's drive for better consultation with patients and the public on health service changes and the aim to keep the NHS local assisted by local authority health overview and scrutiny committees and the Independent Reconfiguration Panel. All these changes were brought about in response to the electoral revolt by the people of Wyre Forest in 2001. I plan to continue to watch future hospital reconfigurations around the country none of which so far have been as severe or unfair as those that affected Kidderminster Hospital.
• With the surprising and illogical proposal to abolish the Commission for Patient and Public Involvement in Health, patient forums will lose their national support and voice. I have already raised this potential disaster in the House of Commons and will oppose any legislation necessary for the abolition.

Crime and the police

Locally and nationally I shall continue to support investment to increase the visibility of police on our streets. I support the deployment of Community Support Officers (CSOs) to aid the police and believe that a bounty payable to members of the Special Constabulary on completing an agreed minimum number of hours duty per month would improve recruitment of these vital, volunteer members of our police forces. At the moment they have more powers than the CSOs, but no regular pay, and can frequently relieve full time uniformed officers for other duties. Increased police numbers are vital for crime prevention and the investigation of relatively minor offences that worry people intensely but may not achieve full investigation because of staff limitations.

Capping by the Government of local authority, police and fire service precepts seems to me to go absolutely against the Government's stated aim of devolution of power. I shall continue to point this out and to push for greater freedom for these bodies to follow local priorities which they have researched in detail. 

The Environment

I have supported Government Bills on Clean Neighbourhoods. The problem of chewing gum on pavements occurs nationwide and I hope that education and widespread awareness of the problem and the need to avoid it will preclude the expense of the complicated cleaning of our streets.

I am a supporter of waste re-cycling and feel that the most effective way of doing this is to put the responsibility onto individual householders by limiting the volume of unsorted waste that can be collected.

I am a keen bird watcher and will support methods of agriculture and countryside stewardship that promote the return of our declining species such as the skylark and lapwing. I support the work of local and national wildlife organisations and charities.

Phone masts are a continued worry to many people and I will press for a critical, independent examination of all the evidence of their health risks so that planning decisions can be made based on firm evidence of risk. It is impossible ever to prove a complete absence of risk and hence we may have to accept a balance of probabilities but it would be wise always to seek sites for masts away from schools, nurseries and playgrounds.

Global warming which is now recognised as a devastating reality has to be tackled. Britain's Kyoto target must be achieved before the deadline.

Agriculture

A major concern to farmers is the single farm payment that replaces the subsidies on crops and livestock. This will be based on acreage and the calculation is extremely complicated. I have raised in Parliament the problems facing sugar beet growers due to the proposed changes from Europe. Following the awful foot and mouth epidemic I raised the inadequate measures for the prevention of the import of illegal meat products that were so inferior to those in some other countries. Further investigation is now needed to know if these have improved. The worries about badgers and bovine tuberculosis continue and diversification remains an aim for many farmers but difficult for many to achieve. 

Business and Manufacturing

Regular meetings with members of the Chamber of Commerce and visits to factories and offices have allowed me to talk to local businessmen and to learn of their need for a stable economy and their concerns with excessive regulation and red tape. I have raised several of these issues with Ministers. The huge advantage of being an MP is that one always gets an answer even if it is not always informative and helpful.

Our successful manufacturing businesses have already discovered that innovation and technical excellence are essential to remain profitable in a world where cheaper labour costs appear to be current everywhere else. Other Governments, even in developed countries, appear to be more generous to their manufacturers. Our present Government appears to be too keen to follow European regulations to the letter.

Transport and roads

Using train services regularly I am well aware of the short comings of crowded, late or cancelled services. I would like to see a return to the days of a few high class train operators in competition who are also responsible for the track and line side equipment as I can remember the LMS, LNER, GWR and SR when one could rely on trains! It is only with increased reliability and lower fares due to greater efficiency that the motoring public will return to the trains in any numbers.

Similarly bus services have to be made more attractive to change people's habits of using cars for short journeys. Free or reduced travel costs for Pensioners should be consistent across the country rather than varying from one local authority to another.

Greatly improved public transport is the only way to discourage people from using their cars, and is preferable to the imposition of punitive fuel prices and tax levels.

Although motorists dislike speed bumps they are effective in reducing speeds in crucial situations outside schools. The stricter enforcement of speed limits is expected to cut road deaths and confirmation of this over a longer period will encourage better compliance with speed limits.

We need better road links to the motorway system as Bromsgrove and Droitwich, for example, use these to attract industrial development more easily than we do. The Stourport Road industrial corridor is our largest brown field site available for development but the cost of decontamination and the poor road links have to be overcome. I have approached and will continue to lobby Advantage West Midlands for much more help here than the £10,000 that we received for a feasibility study.

The Stourport relief road is not a high priority with county planners and I believe that, whilst continuing to press for the full relief road, it is realistic to work on plans for lower cost stages of the road that could be afforded more easily one by one.

Walking or cycling to work and to school should be encouraged by developing safer routes, and bringing into use more disused railways, canal tow paths and dedicated tracks, not just lined-off tracks on main roads for cyclists. A major study should be undertaken into how the walk to school can be made safer.

Tourism and Retail

In the Severn Valley Railway and the West Midlands Safari Park we already have two major tourist attractions, and with the developments around Weavers Wharf and the Kidderminster town centre Wyre Forest is becoming an attractive place for shoppers: we must encourage them to become tourists as well.

To this end I have already held two meetings with representatives of the SVR and the Railway Museum, Bewdley Museum, Hartlebury Museum, the Kidderminster Carpet Museum Trust, the Churchill Forge and the District Council, and we are about to involve British Waterways in our work towards an Industrial Heritage Trail. We have all the components and with the renovation of the Stourport docks and Lichfield Basin, we could offer a fascinating tour for 
people who have finished their shopping and wish for a glimpse into the past of the carpet industry with a working Jacquard loom, the forerunner of the computer made of wood and card, steam railways, canals and docks, forest crafts and heavy metal work before modern power sources were available.

All those working so hard for Opportunity Bewdley and Stourport Forward are to be congratulated on their vision and huge efforts to use the money available under the Market Towns initiative to the best advantage.

I will support the improvements in Kidderminster around Comberton Hill, the Horsefair and Foley Park and all efforts to restore a cinema to the area.

Pensions

I have had more letters about the problems for pensioners than almost any other topic recently. Firstly the ordinary old age pension does not keep up with the cost of living or wage rises and taxes and fuel costs increase at a greater rate than pensioners can cope with. I have registered my support for the Pensioners' Manifesto which asserts that the basic pension must be increased and rise every year in line with average earnings or prices; that all long-term care should be free and that legislation should be introduced to prevent age discrimination.
Secondly pensions from firms that have gone into receivership or that can no longer meet their commitments have put a large number of local people into great difficulties. The Government have addressed the problem, probably inadequately, of firms that may fail in the future but so far have given no help to historical cases. Then there are many people who have been hit by failure of life assurance companies. At least the Government appear to have relented over the proposed changes to pension age for public service workers. Pensions will be a major concern for the next Government. 

Tax 

I agree that taxes should be increased for the well-off to fund the improvements to public services that we all desire. Here I favour the proposals for local income tax to replace council tax as a fairer method of taking into account ability to pay and proposals for a higher rate of tax on those earning over £100,000 per year. 

ID Cards

Talking to people I find varied views on these. Some are vehemently opposed. Others can see a benefit if it means that the ID card becomes the only document that is needed for identification as our wallets are already bursting with plastic, card and paper and if any of this could be eliminated it would be helpful. If re-elected I shall take further soundings before a decision is put to the House of Commons.

Europe

From talking to local people I am aware that closer trade ties with Europe would be welcomed but most are horrified at the idea of coming under a European Constitution and laws and with the prospect of losing our currency or our independence as a state of a federal Europe.

Iraq

I voted with the Liberal Democrats and Labour and Tory rebels against the Iraq war as I believed there were other ways of achieving the same ends albeit at a slower pace. The reasonably successful elections in Iraq do not justify the action which the Goverment took, and now we have to work out a strategy that will allow foreign troops to leave Iraq as soon as possible and yet allow a continuation of democracy and not a takeover by warring factions. This will be extremely difficult as we are seen by the indigenous people as invaders rather than friends. I do not pretend to have the answer but strenuous efforts must be made in this direction. 

Terrorism

I voted against the Government's draconian proposals for confinement of suspected terrorists without trial, defence or even knowledge of the evidence against the accused as I feel the police already have enough powers for short term detention. This country must remain true to the ideals of liberty and freedom of speech to which we have been accustomed. Inevitably there are risks of terrorist attack but I feel that increased vigilance by all of us including reporting any suspicions we may have about neighbours and casual observations will add extra safety to our communities.

Immigration and Asylum

I was horrified when the Government in a previous Bill attempted to remove the right of appeal from asylum seekers after rejection of their case for residence here.
I would strive to achieve shortening of the period of uncertainty for all asylum seekers and to make it possible for workers with useful and needed skills to be fast tracked so that they could become earning members of our society rapidly rather than drawing unnecessary financial support for long periods. However competition for jobs must be seen to be fair for local applicants also.

It is essential to study areas where ethnic groups have integrated well into local communities and the large number of individuals for whom race is no longer an issue as they are fully accepted for their own worth. Lessons must be learnt to reduce the strife and unhappiness where it occurs. As ours is a small island, quotas for immigration will have to be decided preferably by an independent body without political interference. 

Aid for Developing Countries

It is vital that we continue to press the Government on the need to cancel third world debt and offer financial assistance, particularly to African countries with the HIV/AIDS epidemic. With education this can be lessened and with treatment the disease can be controlled as is shown by the long term survival of people in western countries. I have supported and will continue to support Parliamentary Early Day Motions and other measures addressing these issues that could be helped by the UK especially this year with our position on influential international bodies. 

This is your opportunity to re-elect me to continue to be your totally independent MP, unfettered by major political party allegiance. 

Please use your vote to support me to keep Wyre Forest firmly independent.

Dr. Richard Taylor

Promoted and printed by Malcolm Cooper on behalf of Dr Richard Taylor
of Independent Kidderminster Hospital and Health Concern,
137, Franche Road, Kidderminster. DY11 5AP

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