MP for Hartlepool, Iain Wright.
byHARRY BLACKWOOD
Hartlepool MP and Chancellor
Osborne. Two peas from the same pod.
When I stared this blogging lark, I
had no idea it would be such a messy business.
I can assure you it is. I've just
spent five minutes cleaning porridge off the screen of my laptop after spitting
a huge mouthful over the screen. I bet there were many people in Hartlepool
similarly exasperated as I was with the Hartlepool Mail Budget story today,
In a nutshell it was an attack on
the budget and the Chancellor in particular. Normally I'd applaud anyone who
describe George Osborne as smug and complacent. Such a description would have
my 100% support.
But when the criticism comes from
Hartlepool's Labour MP Iain Wright then it's two other words that come to mind.
POT and KETTLE.
It's a perfect description of the
lacklustre local lad who took over from Peter Mandelson in the safe Labour
seat. Many times I've heard people describe Wright in such terms. Lots of them
have been lifelong Labour supporters who have not only become disillusioned at
the national party under the stewardship of Ed 'Mr Bean' Miliband, but are
becoming visibility angry at Wright's ineptitude.
The rot began to set in with the
long-running hospital saga. Wright made endless pledges to the public to the
effect that Hartlepool's hospital would remain in place as long as he was MP.
I'll give him his due, the hospital is still there. Unfortunately almost all of
the wards are empty as services and most have the staff have been transferred
to North Tees. Wright has been impotent and has sat idly by as there has been a
gradual chipping away of services.
If this failure to prevent the
dismantling of vital services was Wright's only red mark on his homework, the
loyal Labour voters of Hartlepool might be persuaded to forgive him. In the
face of public service cuts and a devious and dangerous Tory plan to privatise
the NHS, there is perhaps little headway that a North East Labour MP is
going to make in the commons. But at least he could have shown a bit of fight
and passion. Frankly I've seen more grit and determination from Dale Winton.
