Andrew George
Promoting the
Politics of Courage
I’m running a positive campaign to restore decency and honesty to our politics. To build a brighter future. To combat those who want us to become more inward-looking, backward-looking, more self-absorbed. I’ll build a campaign for an outward-looking, forward-looking and compassionate country.
We’ve been misled by a privileged clique who’ve irresponsibly played on fears to stoke prejudice. We must get beyond the Brexit chaos they’ve dragged our country into. We must restore the things that matter for the sake of our children’s future – our NHS, our schools and the very sustainability of our planet.
Come and join a growing campaign team. We’re determined to win this seat back this time, to make the difference, to build a brighter future.
Many people say “you politicians are all the same”. That statement has never been more untrue. The choice here is stark:
Andrew George - Standing up for Cornwall
National campaigner, local campaigner, MP.
Andrew describes his role - "Seeking out the silent voices. Standing up to bullies. Fighting for justice”
Liberal Democrats - Building a brighter future
(St) Just a perfect day...🎼
A few snapshots from Lafrowda today. 😎
St Just is such a special place.
However, as a fellow St Piran (at Helston's Hal-an-Tow), I couldn't help but feel deeply jealous of this one sailing along on motorised rollers! 😲
Cornwall Live
BBC Cornwall
ITV News West Country
St Just Miners' Chapel
#stjust #lafrowda
Our campaign to stop the swingeing cuts to Coastguard duty payments has succeeded. Many thanks to all those who’ve promoted this important campaign.
This will be an enormous relief to hundreds of CROs - many of whom feared they were being forced out of the service - and to our coastal communities, who depend on them to help keep us safe.
Special thanks to Government Minister, Kier Mather MP, for listening and acting. (See his response to me a few days ago in the comments below)
Detailed Government statement is also in the comments below.
I pressed NHS chief – Dr Penny Dash - to ensure that clinicians have a “safe space” where they can raise concerns about patient safety. The last thing our NHS needs is a climate of fear where matters have to be bottled up, services become dysfunctional and a bullying culture is permitted to pervade. This means patient safety is put at risk, and then lengthy and expensive Inquiries often need to be commissioned to deal with the shocking and distressing impact this has on the lives of many people, not least patients and the frontline clinicians who have to endure working in such an environment.
I was honoured to be invited as after-dinner speaker at the Royal College of Anaesthetists’ President’s Annual Dinner, in Central London, alongside NHS Chair Dr Penny Dash.
However, one important organisation which Dr Penny Dash has recommended should be subsumed elsewhere is the Health Services Safety Investigations Body (HSSIB). But HSSIB provides the very “safe space” in which clinicians at all levels can report/whistle blow concerns about poor practice and risks to patient safety in a climate where, crucially, they have “protected disclosure”; ie protected from litigation. This could easily be undermined by Dr Dash’s proposals.
Therefore, without making my after-dinner speech too combative, I felt I managed to keep the message clear, good-humoured, but got the point over.
I was approached by many senior anaesthetists after the dinner who strongly agreed with that point (and indeed a number of other important issues smuggled into the light and I hope entertaining speech).
I asked the Health Secretary to correct the record when he was before our Health Select Committee. He had wrongly accused “senior clinicians” of refusing to cooperate with the important Ockenden Inquiry into the shocking and distressing cases of malpractice at the Nottingham University Hospitals Maternity Unit.
Some may consider the distinction between “senior clinicians” and “senior managers/leaders” unimportant semantics. But it is important for the morale of the thousands of dedicated frontline NHS staff who provide these vital services and have pride in their professional standing, dedication and desire to uphold the highest standards of patient safety that their reputation is respected.
Public funds used to invest in and improve the lives of disabled people is just common sense, as well as good business. Those politicians who accuse others of scrounging or that we’re just fuelling a dependency culture are out of touch.
I welcome the government’s change of heart. Personal Independence Payments are more often used to support people in work. The unnecessary and avoidable trauma of having to perpetually reapply and to be reassessed for this help just adds to the problems.
We can better manage and bring down the cost of this policy if we view it as a sensible investment, and reject those who simply seek to fuel prejudice and promote a “hostile environment”.
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