QUESTION: What matters most to a politician? Their party? Their politics? Themselves?
Ok, that's a bit harsh - perhaps rather like asking if every GP secretly harbours a hidden intent to do a Harold Shipman.
But Hazel Blears hasn't helped the cause of politicians much this week, has she?
Turning up at a protest against maternity ward closures in her constituency might at first seem the work of an MP who is just keen to raise the profile of a cause evidently close to the hearts of many of her constituents.
Yet look at the cause of the the planned closures - swapping local maternity services for super-regional ones covering larger catchment areas - and it's possible to track the policy right to the very top.
To the ruling Labour Party, in fact, of which Hazel Blears is chairman, or chairwoman, if we're going to be uber-PC and New Labour about it.
Now as chairwoman of the Labour Party, Hazel Blears is responsible for maintaining party order - but I'm not too bothered about that.
After all, she wasn't elected to maintain party rule, she was elected to represent the people in her constituency - a point she made in her defence this week.
But she's also a member of the cabinet, and such closures as the ones she is opposed to, must have been discussed at Cabinet level, probably under as part of 'NHS Reform.'
Perhaps no-one was listening to Patricia Hewitt as she spelt out her plans because maybe the entire Cabinet switches off as quickly as the rest of us when we hear her patronising tones charging through the air.
Perhaps, but I doubt it. So, following that train of though, Ms Blears has let this one go through, along with her colleagues, either not knowing the local implications (which she can't really be expected to, although it's arguable the Department of Health should have known) or not actually asking.
She certainly didn't voice overall concern about it at the time - not in public, at least. She's a paid representative of the people of Salford, and if she's opposing something, she should be doing so in public, not in 'private meetings' to save Party face.
Remember your primary job, Hazel!
So that now leaves us with the question as to why Ms Blears has suddenly appeared on the protest lines, showing the people of Salford that she knows about their concerns?
Could it be, possibly, because three of the Salford constituencies are being merged into two, including hers, and with one of the constituencies already choosing their Labourite for the next campaign - not Hazel - there's every danger that come the next General Election, she'll have no constituents to represent at all?
Ok, that's a bit harsh - perhaps rather like asking if every GP secretly harbours a hidden intent to do a Harold Shipman.
But Hazel Blears hasn't helped the cause of politicians much this week, has she?
Turning up at a protest against maternity ward closures in her constituency might at first seem the work of an MP who is just keen to raise the profile of a cause evidently close to the hearts of many of her constituents.
Yet look at the cause of the the planned closures - swapping local maternity services for super-regional ones covering larger catchment areas - and it's possible to track the policy right to the very top.
To the ruling Labour Party, in fact, of which Hazel Blears is chairman, or chairwoman, if we're going to be uber-PC and New Labour about it.
Now as chairwoman of the Labour Party, Hazel Blears is responsible for maintaining party order - but I'm not too bothered about that.
After all, she wasn't elected to maintain party rule, she was elected to represent the people in her constituency - a point she made in her defence this week.
But she's also a member of the cabinet, and such closures as the ones she is opposed to, must have been discussed at Cabinet level, probably under as part of 'NHS Reform.'
Perhaps no-one was listening to Patricia Hewitt as she spelt out her plans because maybe the entire Cabinet switches off as quickly as the rest of us when we hear her patronising tones charging through the air.
Perhaps, but I doubt it. So, following that train of though, Ms Blears has let this one go through, along with her colleagues, either not knowing the local implications (which she can't really be expected to, although it's arguable the Department of Health should have known) or not actually asking.
She certainly didn't voice overall concern about it at the time - not in public, at least. She's a paid representative of the people of Salford, and if she's opposing something, she should be doing so in public, not in 'private meetings' to save Party face.
Remember your primary job, Hazel!
So that now leaves us with the question as to why Ms Blears has suddenly appeared on the protest lines, showing the people of Salford that she knows about their concerns?
Could it be, possibly, because three of the Salford constituencies are being merged into two, including hers, and with one of the constituencies already choosing their Labourite for the next campaign - not Hazel - there's every danger that come the next General Election, she'll have no constituents to represent at all?
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