Labour pains over

THE Wyre Forest Labour Party has made a "breakthrough" at the county poll after years of voter anger over the downgrading of Kidd-erminster Hospital, one of its new councillors has said.

The party was on its way back after winning two Wyre Forest seats on Worcestershire County Council, former county chairman, Nigel Knowles, claimed.

The Bewdley resident said: "It really is good news for us, it is a real breakthrough. I am really, really pleased and delighted and surprised."

Labour lost all its six county seats in Wyre Forest in 2001, a year after A&E and inpatient beds were taken away in the hospital downgrading.

The party's representation on Wyre Forest District Council also plummeted as Health Concern took control.

Mr Knowles said: "It has been pretty sparse, it is such a slog. Obviously my thoughts were 'have the people forgiven us for the hospital situation?' "

Mr Knowles was chairman of the county's planning committee in 2000 and 2001 when it threw out an incinerator plan for the former British Sugar site in Stourport Road, Kidderminster.

He said the double victory was a "stepping stone" to get more places on the district council, where Labour has four out of a possible 42 councillors.

He said: "We can get more councillors at the district council election next year and the one after that and we can go for control in the council chamber."

The other new Labour councillor is Paul Mills, whose victory was the shock of Friday's count.

Mr Mills beat the Conservative candidate Nathan Desmond to take the ward of St Mary's.

The carpet shearer admitted he was a "paper candidate", one which a party puts forward but does not expect to be successful.

He denied Mr Desmond's claim, however, that Labour made no effort to reach out to people in the ward.

He said: "The area was completely leafleted at least once."

He added: "Now I have got the job I am going to do it to the best of my ability. It is a move forward for Labour and we are starting from today to look to get re-elected in four years time (at County Hall)."

Mr Mills, who beat the Conservative candidate by 73 votes, said: "The hospital should no longer be a major issue. It's gone, what's done is done and we are moving on."

Chairman of Wyre Forest Labour Party, Keith Budden, told the Shuttle/Times and News that voters were "returning to Labour".

He said: "We are delighted and believe we can now start rebuilding and repairing some of the damage that the Tories have done to our district."

Labour welcomed three more members to its county team, giving the party 17 councillors.

A new leader, John Buckley, was elected on Saturday.

Readers' views

Congratulations to Dr Richard Taylor on his re-election as our MP. He is a man of integrity and has worked very well for local people on a wide range of issues.

I knew that the Conservative candidate would not win when I received a leaflet from him headed "when I become your next MP".

I hope that we can now expect the huge placards with which he has disfigured the area to be swiftly removed.

DAVID HOOD

Woodthorpe Drive, Bewdley

As one who voted for Dr Taylor four years ago, I congratulate him on his victory on May 5, especially as I saw neither him, nor anyone from his party, nor any of his election literature, in the previous five weeks. A remarkable achievement.

He is a nice chap, and I really hope that during his next five years as our MP he will be able to make actual "health concerns" better - instead of worse.

I spent this election day taking my severely-disabled and incontinent wife on a 40-mile round trip (42 if you include going round the car park seven times) to Worcestershire Royal Hospital for a simple blood test because, apparently, "we prefer you to come to Worcester".

We arrived there at 10.05am and finally left at 2.20pm.

No, I didn't vote for him this time and, oddly enough, even during numerous hospital visits, I never met anyone in the last two years who claimed they were going to either.

A remarkable achievement indeed - unfortunately his only one.

NAME AND ADDRESS SUPPLIED

Bewdley

Congratulations to Dr Richard Taylor, MP for Wyre Forest.

Although a much-reduced majority, another victory for our health concerns. Without good health we have nothing.

At least until the next General Election the proud people of Wyre Forest have again proven to Labour and Conservatives that they have paid heavily for the loss of our beloved hospital.

Long live Dr Taylor, for his gallant fight against the bigger party opponents and all odds to restore our lost local hospital services.

EDDIE GARRATT

Kestrel Close, Kidderminster

In a world where the exercise of true democracy is a major concern from Iraq to Zimbabwe, and living as I do in the country that considers itself to be "the mother of all democracies", it is a spectacular disgrace that I was unable to vote for my political party of choice at the General Election.

I feel that I was disenfranchised by the Liberal Democrats as they did not put forward a candidate for Wyre Forest.

Local activists tell me that the decision was made by party HQ, but Dawn Davidson, chair of the English Candidates Committee, advises that the decision was "taken by the local party membership".

Either way, it is an amazing contradiction from a party that has long advocated proportional representation to ensure that every vote counts.

NAME AND ADDRESS SUPPLIED

Dr Richard Taylor's splendid re-election as MP for Wyre Forest confirms the wish of the people that the fight for the return of services lost due to the disastrous downgrading of Kidderminster Hospital must continue.

Since the downgrading, many local people who have been unfortunate enough to need hospital treatment have found that due to the extra travelling how distressful and inconvenient it has been to have to go to either Worcester or Redditch hospitals, or even further afield, when in the majority of cases Kidderminster Hospital could have dealt with the problems.

During a pre-election television interview, Conservative leader Michael Howard admitted the health proposals of the Conservative Government in the mid-90s, which included the Kidderminster downgrading, were wrong, and with Prime Minister Tony Blair saying he will listen more to the electorate, mainly due to a greatly reduced Commons majority, no doubt, and the Worcestershire Health Trust struggling to cope, surely it is time for common sense to prevail with full services returned to Kidderminster Hospital?

A NORTH

Windsor Drive, Stourport

On my 64th birthday (election day) I went down to Wolverley Memorial Hall to vote.

Before going through the doors, I got talking to a couple of councillors and was telling them about the problems we have on our estate.

Suddenly a woman came out of the doors and asked me not to talk about any issues, as this was a polling station. (If you cannot do this at a polling station, to people you rarely see, unless they want your vote, where else can you do it?)

I was not rude, or too loud, but boy was I disgusted, so I drove off without voting.

PAULINE RICKSON

Hayes Road, Wolverley