Ashfield MP accuses opposition of political point-scoring over Covid tests for NHS staff

Not that difficult in a perfect world, although in perfect world we would not need politicians.

I say this because I was extremely disappointed to see the political point-scoring by the opposition parties last week.

Labour called an opposition day motion calling for weekly coronavirus testing of all NHS staff.

If they had won, it would have had zero impact on testing of NHS staff because it was not legislation and even if it were, it is clearly not in the interests of NHS staff to have their testing regime set by MPs voting in Parliament.

I fully support the testing regime devised and supported by the chief medical officer and the British Medical Association which is based on actual clinical need and means every member of staff can get one when they need it.

For example, at Kings Mill Hospital if a member of staff needs a covid test then they will get one within three hours of asking and all the staff I have spoken to say the system in place is brilliant and they have full confidence in it.

Furthermore, every member of staff I have spoken to has also said they do not want to be forced into taking a test every single week.

Labour officially don’t support the Conservatives’ stance, and so are knowingly betraying the interests of NHS staff.

Locally, an army of volunteers joined me in the New Cross area of Sutton to carry out a clean-up of the area.

Residents in this area have been let down for far too long by local politicians who talk a good game but fail to deliver.

More council resources should be invested in keep the area clean and enforcing legal action on the culprits who seem intent on making peoples lives a misery.

Finally, on Sunday I visited Elsie Allcock in Huthwaite who celebrated her 102nd birthday at her home on Barker Street.

Elsie has lived in the same house all her life and is an absolute credit to the village.

She puts her long life down to keeping busy and still gets out on the back yard every day with her sweeping brush.

Maybe I will ask her to help me the next time we clean up the New Cross area – happy birthday Elsie.

Lee Anderson is MP for Ashfield.