Candidates clash over NHS at Bishop's Castle hustings

Four candidates hoping to be the Ludlow Constituency's next MP faced off in a hustings debate at Bishop's Castle's Three Tuns, agreeing that support for small farmers must be maintained in the face of Brexit and that south Shropshire desperately needed better mobile and broadband connections.

But candidates clashed over the issue of the funding of health services as well as the reality of otherwise of a widening gap in inequality.

Hilary Wendt, standing for the Green Party, said in the UK health services are funded 30 per cent less than in other wealthy nations, and underfunding meant services were not adequate and staff were under "incredible stress".

She added that living in poverty put strain on both the physical and mental health of people trying to cope, as she had seen as a community mental health worker, which is why overall wellbeing and tackling inequality was essential to tackling the burden on health services.

Dr Julia Buckley, for Labour, got the biggest cheer of the night when she suggested NHS should be completely "re-nationalised" instead of having services farmed out to private providers.

She said there had been billions "cut from the centre" of the NHS.

"It's easy to devolve the blame to your local trust but in fact their hands are tied behind their back," she said.

She added that 14 per cent of the total NHS budget went on the red tape of dealing with contracted providers.

"So can nobody please ask me again how we can fund our NHS – we re-nationalise the NHS and the money will be there," she said.

But Heather Kidd, for the Lib Dems, said that allowing private companies a role in the NHS started with the Labour government by creating private finance initiative deals.

She said Shropshire GPs recently suggesting patients pay for consultations to "end the crisis in general practice" was "one of the most scandalous things I've heard in a long time" and it was critical to solve the problem of nurse recruiting – and to ensure the jobs and status of EU staff in the NHS were secure.

Mr Dunne, incumbent Conservative MP and minster for health, said Mrs Kidd was "absolutely right" about one thing – "Labour introduced private contractors to the NHS".

He said Mrs Buckley's figures on the percentage of NHS services delivered by private companies were "astonishing" in their inaccuracy, and the growth of the practice had actually slowed considerably under the Conservatives

He said spending on the NHS had increased by £8 billion over the current period and it was in the Conservative manifesto to continue to increase spending. There had been 11,000 more doctors introduced and there were more nurses in training than ever before, he said.

"We are coping with the challenge," he said.

He also said that current ONS figures showed the UK was now at "a 30 year record low of inequality" adding that child poverty was "a relative measure" that meant it looked worse the wealthier the median average family was.

However other candidates said the figures did not tell the whole story.

Second hustings for Ludlow candidates

The four parliamentary candidates for the Ludlow constituency will face off for a second time next week, just days before the general election.

Following Monday’s first hustings at the Three Tuns Inn in Bishop’s Castle, a second will take place at St Laurence’s parish church in Ludlow on June 2.

Once again, incumbent MP Philip Dunne, standing once more for the Conservative Party, will answer questions from the audience alongside rival candidates including Dr Julia Buckley, for Labour, Councillor Heather Kidd, for the Lib Dems, and South Shropshire Green Party co-ordinator Hilary Wendt, for the Greens.

Members of the public are invited to come along and put questions to the candidates in an event organised by community groups People4Ludlow and Churches Together Around Ludlow.

The hustings will be held from 7pm to 9pm and will be chaired by the newly installed rector of St Laurence’s Church, Rev Kelvin Price.

Dr Julia Buckley will also be holding a “meet the candidate” afternoon in the Oscars room at Ludlow Assembly Rooms from 2.30pm to 4.30pm on Friday, where she will also be answering questions.