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Martyn Oates
Political editor, South West
David Cameron on NHS regional pay, GPs and 'Devonwall'
The Prime Minister talks to political editor, Martyn Oates, about regional pay, constituency boundaries and out-of-hours GP services in the South West of England.
On the eve of the Conservative Party conference I caught up with the Prime Minister at Downing Street.
We talked about regional pay in the NHS and Serco's shortcomings in providing out-of-hours GP services in Cornwall.
He also confirmed his determination to push ahead with plans to redraw constituency boundaries, including the creation of the controversial 'Devonwall' seat of Bideford and Bude.
To say some of his own backbenchers are less than sanguine about the proposed changes is an understatement.
And, given that the Lib Dems have now withdrawn their support, it looks as if Mr Cameron is leading his troops towards almost inevitable defeat in the Commons.
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Comment number 6.
tydd8th October 2012 - 8:19
Fenny, fully agree with your approach. They should also implement performance related pay. This would allow for financial punishment for the recent rail franchise fiasco. The same should be applied for financial punishment for failing to deal with the deficit, especially as many people are suffering.
Link to this (Comment number 6)
Comment number 5.
Fenny7th October 2012 - 22:19
If MPs want regional pay, they should start with their own salaries. All MPs should receive a salary based on the average pay in their constituency. If 10% of their constituents are on benefits, 10% of the MP's salary should be made up of 10% of JSA, or whatever it's called these days. Their pensions and expenses likewise. Lead by example and show us why we should agree with the policy.
Link to this (Comment number 5)
Comment number 4.
sticky7th October 2012 - 0:20
He brushed it away nicely.
Better monitoring? Yes, by the private firms themselves? "We are the best OOH service in the UK" was what they reported. Shame on them. Without an independent impartial monitor this will happen again and again throughout the country.
Link to this (Comment number 4)
Comment number 3.
sionnyn6th October 2012 - 20:26
Before introducing regional pay, how about scrapping the London weighting? London gets a greater subsidy from the UK parliament than ANY of the devolved regions.
Link to this (Comment number 3)
Comment number 2.
Liquidfire6th October 2012 - 16:40
If the LibDems block the move to have equal-sized constituencies, they will reap a whirlwind. It is such a self-evidently correct notion that for anyone who aspires to be "Liberal" and "Democratic" to not support it would be a contradiction in terms.
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Comments 5 of 6