Posted by JLW on Friday Jun 03, 15:15
It's almost a month since the General Election and today this website has recorded its 5,000th hit. Thanks to everyone who has taken the time to visit the site and who has contributed to the debate. It's clear that there is mounting public interest in local politics here in Manchester Withington.
Clearly everybody has their own view on the tactics John Leech employed during the Election Campaign. Some believe he told tall stories in his election materials, misrepresented Labour's Keith Bradley on his opposition to the Iraq War and, most importantly, sold the public a lie that the Christie Hospital was under threat of closure.
The latter has yet to be justified.
Other people believe John won because of public discontent with Tony Blair, his high-profile publicity campaign and recognition of his work as a City Councillor.
Whatever your opinion, we're delighted that so many people are taking an interest and have a forum within which to exchange views and take an interest in the local political scene.
That can only be good for local democracy.
Above all, whilst comments left on the message board are the sole ownership of the individuals who post them, we are always keen to ensure balance and accuracy.
That's why we have today written to John to invite him to submit his own fortnightly column to this website. This will be produced in full and allow him an opportunity to tell us more about his work.
We're now awaiting a reply from John and hopefully he'll be back in touch shortly.
+ tags coming soon
( 23 Comments )
Sue H
Saturday Jun 04, 00:13
Well done guys - this is good for democracy and accountabily. I hope anyone who does not like this site can now - go and look somewhere else (like turning the TV over when you do not like the program)instead of constantly criticising the existence of the site.Debate is good - censorship is bad.
Zoe Sharma
Saturday Jun 04, 00:24
I believe John Leech also undermined the integrity and neutrality of the police in his campaign. One of his leaflets had an article with a headline "Thanks say Police" It said 'John Leech and the Liberal Democrats fight to get police out from behind desks and onto the streets has received praise from the Greater Manchester Police Authority"
In a leter to me this week the Director of the Police Authority, Russell Bernstein, stated "GMPA have not at anytime provided any comment with regards to any of the political parties proposals on policing issues". Which is what you would expect from the police in a democracy.
This may not be such a big and horrible lie as the 'Save Christie's' campaign but I think it shows his complete disregard for the truth, and for the standards expected in public life.
(P.S. I am a Labour Party member - not that this means I have no right to expect my MP to tell the TRUTH!)
Colin Dobbie
Saturday Jun 04, 21:20
Already, in Westminster, John Leech has been labelled as the new 'Jeremy Thorpe' in the Liberal party.
Upon closer inspection, however they both have uncanny similarities. They both share the first name 'John' although Thorpe chose to be known by his second name. They both entered parliament young and both were/are youthful and seemingly dynamic, given to wearing 'natty' suits and spouting verbal pomposities. It is no secret that Jeremy Thorpe's seat in North Devon was taken in 1959 with a similar smokescreen of misinformation, as used in this recent Withington campaign.
The biography of Jeremy Thorpe by Michael Bloch which was due to be released earlier this year had been deliberately blocked, by the 'men in grey suits' from the Liberal Party.
By the way. The original topic of discussion: John Leech will not reply, of that I can be certain, if his secretary does reply, the answer will be 'no'.
Iain H
Saturday Jun 04, 22:38
Hopefully the Rt Hon John Leech, Member of Parliament for Manchester Withington will not reply to your request or become involved in any other crank Labour attempt to return Keith Bradley to Westminster. Let's face the truth: You lost. You'll get over it one day. Why not help find Keith a new job instead of waisting time on the websight?
Sue H
Saturday Jun 04, 22:53
Iain - Why do the liberals keep going on about the election? Why can't they respond to the debate?
Alan
Saturday Jun 04, 22:58
Iain, Keith won't need help finding a new job, he is intelligent, well qualified and honest. Clearly you have nothing to say, no intelligence and are just full of hot air pal. If this is not the case then get involved in the debate, if you don't want to then stop wasting everyone's time and stop posting! p.s well said Sue!
Dr. Iria Guite
Saturday Jun 04, 23:39
I think you will find that members of parliament are not entitled to call themselves 'The Right Honourable' until they have served a full term in office and been re-elected for a second time. Therefore we shall have to wait sometime to see if Mr.John Leech MP can become 'right' or indeed 'honourable'.
Steve
Saturday Jun 04, 23:50
I think it is quite clear that John Leech isn't right (well not about Christie anyway), and definitely not honourable... no decent person would exploit cancer patients and use scare tactics as he did. He should be ashamed of himself.
Steve
Sunday Jun 05, 00:16
A concern is a different matter to standing outside the hopsital handing flyers to patients arriving for treatment telling them the hopsital was going to shutdown. "Save Christie Hospital" was the campaign... from what is the question? £7 Million of funding???
Steve J
Sunday Jun 05, 00:56
You also have to remember that when Withington Hospital closed there was a big investment in Wythenshawe hospital. Unfortunately, it is very easy for the Lib Dems to promise everything and produce nothing... let's see whether John Leech can produce us a metrolink. It will be interesting to see if his only success is "Saving Christie Hospital"
Iain H
Sunday Jun 05, 02:28
Labour's track record on health services in the Withington area speaks for its self. The closure of Withington Hospital and the disaster that is mental health services in south manchester. What have we got in place now? a PFI hospital isolated in wythenshawe with no metro-link? a community hopital with no in-patient beds or A&E dept? John was right to share concerns with labour's commitment to the NHS in south manchester.
Zoe
Sunday Jun 05, 02:42
Iain - do you really believe the health service has got worse under Labour? There has been a massive financial investment since Labour got the Tories out. Yes services have changed. For instance - we don't have to have our babies on the old Victorian Workhouse ward at Withington with bars on the windows. The community mid-wife service goes into local health centres and the choices for home births or domino are widely available. St. Mary's is an international centre of excellence if women need specialist treatment. Though the LibDems seem to think that if the service is not in M20/M21 then it does not exist. Your constant negative propaganda actually causes so much distress to people. Anyone who has watched Holby City knows that the paramedics now are fully equipped to deal with heart attacks and other emergencies where the patient is - it is not the case that the distance to the nearest A&E is the critical factor in survival rates, that it was 20 years ago. You talk about Wythenshawe hospital as if it was in the antarctic. Many people who have been there think the treatment they received is brilliant. But you like to play on the fears who have not experienced the service. You do not advertise NHS Direct - the best way for people to get 24 hour advice about health care - because this great innovation under Labour goes against the cynical picture you try to paint in people's minds. You are not helping anyone - just spreading negative propaganda.
Tim
Sunday Jun 05, 07:05
I also think that you have yet to justify the claim that Keith Bradley's position in the war was misrepresented.
John B
Sunday Jun 05, 08:09
I'm sure this has been mentioned before, but take a look at http://www.publicwhip.org.uk/mp.php?mpn=Keith_Bradley&mpc=Manchester%2C+Withington
Votes 117 and 118: Iraq - Declaration of war, and the amendmendment, Keith Bradley rebelled against the government and voted against.
If you speak to Keith, he will tell you that his position was quite clear (and infact the same as the Lib Dems) that he would support a war with UN backing, so he voted for the war until the UN didn't pass a second amendment and then voted against it. So there we go - quite clear on his position.
In the Lib Dem campaign, people either said that Keith Bradley voted for the war (which clearly isn't true if you look at the voting record), or was unsure about the war - I think it's obvious that it would be a moral dilemma, but at the end of the day you only vote once to send your troops to war and Keith Bradley voted against.
I hope that clears things up for you Tim.
Zoe
Sunday Jun 05, 18:59
Going back to health - actually I think Iain may have a point about the state of mental health services in South Manchester. I am also very concerned about any moves to close the Psychiatric ward at Wythenshawe. I am lobbying and campaigning for better services. Mental Health Services are a bit of a cinderella for public concern. So why did the LibDems falsely claim the prestigious and much loved Christie's was under threat - and not join the genuine campaign to improve mental health services in South Manchester? Not so many votes in it?
Tim
Monday Jun 06, 00:58
But it was not the same position as the Lib Dems at all. He voted with the government on all of the votes prior to the March vote.
I think it is a misrepresentation to say that Keith was always against the war. His voting record was not the same as other Labour MPs who were consistently against the war.
Most of the Lib Dem literature explained that Keith failed to vote consistently, or made its assertions against Tony Blair. Which however you look at it, voting Labour made it more likely that TB would be in power after the election.
Tim
Monday Jun 06, 01:01
Zoe, Is that what Labour meant when they said save Withington Teaching Hospital? That the services should be moved to Wythenshawe?
I think Labour misled the public. All we have now in Withington is a glorified health centre with a 'Withington Community Hospital' sign on it.
Alan
Monday Jun 06, 01:29
I think if you do your research Tim you will see that it is more than just a 'glorified health centre'
Zoe
Monday Jun 06, 04:16
The Community Health Council and the Labour MP ensured that any services that were to be moved out of the unsuitable Victorian Workhouse building had to be provided elsewhere first. This is what happened. If the LibDems had their way nothing could change, the NHS in South Manchester would be like it was in the 1980's - which was much worse than now. Report after report recommended moving services from Withington - the Rowen Ward appalling episode was partly due to the environment. Would you re-open Rowen Ward??
Tim
Monday Jun 06, 05:28
So if that was the case why did Keith Brady campaign to save Withington Hospital, if he thought that was not the best solution? For votes?
Alan
Monday Jun 06, 12:42
Cluthcing at straws now Tim!!! The difference between Keith Bradley and John Leech has already been clearly defined! There was no threat to Christie and yet John campaigned on this (the scaffolding outside that was renovating the hospital might have been a clear give away), there was a very clear threat to Withington Hospital and this is why Keith campaigned on it. Through Tory under investment in the NHS, Withington lost it's a&e, we are luck after the Tory scourge to have even the community hospital and that is thanks to the hard work and efforts of Keith Bradley.
Furthermore Tim, if Mr Leech had campaigned on Christie, if there was a real threat of closure; would you blame him if it eventually closed, in spite of his efforts (although these were minimal photo ops) or would you congratulate him and thank him for his efforts?
Anthony
Monday Jun 06, 15:21
Just for clarity. No-one is allowed to call themselves Right Honourable until they have been appointed to the Privy Council. It has nothing whatever to do with length of Parliamentary service.
Anthony
Monday Jun 06, 15:22
Just for clarity. No-one is allowed to call themselves Right Honourable until they have been appointed to the Privy Council. It has nothing whatever to do with length of Parliamentary service.
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