On Thursday 19 June 2008 the Conservative
candidate Joanne Beirne polled 81.1% of the vote in a by election for
the Wollaston Ward of the Borough Council of Wellingborough.
The Wollaston result was a stunning victory for the Conservatives :
Jo Beirne
Conservative 816 –
81.1% (850 – 70,2% on 3/May/2007)
Jane Brown Liberal
Democrat 93 - 9.2%
Peter Wright Labour
97
- 9.6% (360 – 29.8% on 3/May/2007)
The turnout was 32.76%.
The swing from Labour->Con was 15.5%. (N.B. The Libdems didn’t stand
in 2007.)
The Conservative candidate took over 80% of the vote. (This makes it
the best Conservative result in the East Midlands for at least a quarter
of a century!)
27th March 2008
11th
Jan 08
Conservatives
in by-election triumph
The Conservative Party candidate,
Andrew Bigley, won a resounding victory in the Redwell West
by-election in Wellingborough on Thursday 27th March 2008. On a slightly
reduced turnout from when the seat was last fought in May 2007, in a
contest boasting four extra candidates from parties that did not stand
last time, the Conservatives secured 59% of the 1127 votes counted.
Once again, the Conservatives'
positive Listening campaign focused on issues important to local people.
Congratulations to Andrew and the rest of the outstanding and
hardworking campaign team. Result in full:
Conservative 665
(59%)
BNP 177 (15.7%)
Labour 169 (14.9%)
Lib Dem 40 (3.5%)
UKIP 39 (3.4%)
Green 37 (3.2%)
MP
Demands Health Trust action to stop people going blind
Peter Bone, Member
of Parliament for Wellingborough and Rushden
yesterday (Thursday 10 January) in a debate
in the House of Commons on Preventative Health
Care, demanded that Northamptonshire Primary Care Trust must treat
sufferers of wet eye age related macular degeneration (wet AMD) on the
NHS.
Just before Christmas, the National Institute of Clinical Excellence
(NICE) issued new guidelines on treatment for wet AMD following a
dramatic u-turn. NICE now states that the sight saving drug Lucentis
should be made available to treat the majority of wet AMD sufferers on
the NHS.
However, whereas some PCTs have already implemented NICE’s new
guidelines, Northamptonshire PCT has refused to do so. In a letter to Mr
Bone from Northamptonshire PCT it was stated that the PCT will not
change its policy on treatment for wet AMD until NICE makes its final
recommendations.
Mr Bone says: ‘The final guidelines from NICE are not expected to come
out until the summer. This means that between now and then, many people
could be left to go blind unnecessarily because the PCT will not provide
treatment on the NHS.
‘The Health Minister and even the Prime Minster agree that PCTs should
not withhold treatment on cost grounds so I find Northamptonshire PCT’s
policy completely unacceptable.
‘In the debate in Parliament yesterday, the Health Minister said in
response to my concerns: “Although the National Institute for Health and
Clinical Excellence has not made a final determination, I have been
clear in this House and in correspondence that until that happens the
primary care trust should not refuse treatment in this area for any
other reason than on a clinical basis—that is the clear guidance given
to PCTs.”
Peter Bone continues: ‘I have today written again to the PCT to make my
views known and have also written to the Health Minister to let her know
of the incredible policy of my PCT which is allowing people in my
constituency to go blind unnecessarily.’
11th
Dec 07
MP Chosen
to sit on Health Select Committee
Peter Bone, MP for
Wellingborough and Rushden has been chosen to become a Member of the
Health Select Committee – one of the most important select committees in
Parliament.
Health Select Committee Members hold the
Government to account on many issues about our National Health Service.
Mr Bone, known for his many campaigns on local and national NHS matters
was officially adopted to the Committee on Monday 10 December 2007.
Mr Bone said: "The issue of health is one of my
main concerns as a Member of Parliament. Whether it is raising matters
such as the need for a new local hospital or campaigning nationally for
universal treatment for causes of blindness, I consider healthcare to be
one of the main concerns of people in my constituency.
"I am delighted that I have been chosen as a
Member of the Health Select Committee as I will have a greater
opportunity to raise not only national concerns about the NHS but also
local issues."
22nd
Nov
MP says
Kettering Hospital has worst C. Difficile rate in country
Peter Bone, MP for
Wellingborough and Rushden has persuaded the Health Minister to visit
Kettering General Hospital after a debate on Healthcare Acquired
Infections in the House of Commons.
Mr Bone raised the issue of
infection rates of Clostridium Difficile at Kettering Hospital which is
the most local hospital to Wellingborough constituents.
In his speech Mr Bone stated that
the likelihood of someone getting C. Difficile in Kettering hospital is
three times the national average. Mr Bone argued that the reason for
this was the vast underfunding of our local PCT by the Government and
the fact that Kettering Hospital is always full to capacity, making it
very difficult to regularly deep clean.
Mr Bone says: ‘I do not think it is
a co-incidence that we live in the worst funded part of the country for
healthcare and we also have the highest rate of C. Difficile infection
in our local hospital. The solution to this problem is for the
Government to fund healthcare in North Northamptonshire to the amount
that the Government itself said we should get. We also desperately need
a new local hospital in the Wellingborough constituency to ease the
burden on Kettering and to provide a better healthcare service to local
people.’
During the speech in the House of
Commons yesterday Mr Bone urged the Health Minister to visit Kettering
General Hospital so that she could see first hand the problems that
local people face with access to healthcare.
Peter Bone says: ‘I am delighted
that the Minister has agreed to visit the hospital and very much hope
that this is the first step in getting the proper health care that my
constituents need and deserve."