Karl McCartney

By Karl McCartney Karlmccartney

I firmly believe that the government needs to negotiate a better settlement for Britain in the European Union. The best way to achieve this, in my opinion, would be in a new treaty that makes the changes needed to resolve the crisis in the Eurozone, while at the same time protecting the interests of those outside of the single currency.

This new settlement should be rigorously focused on what matters to the people of Europe: competitiveness; flexibility and fairness for all member states, whether inside the Eurozone or out of it; more respect for national democracies and, crucially, a recognition that powers should be able to flow back to member states, not just away from them.

I am therefore pleased that the Prime Minister has announced that the next Conservative Manifesto in 2015 will ask for a mandate from the British people to negotiate a new settlement with the UK’s European partners in the next Parliament. Once this has been achieved, there is then a commitment to hold an in-out referendum on the UK’s membership of the EU – a policy I have long advocated and have been urging the Government to adopt since my election to Parliament in 2010.

To signal its intention on this matter, the Conservative Party published a draft bill to legislate for this referendum before the end of 2017. It is being brought to the House of Commons by James Wharton MP as a Private Member’s Bill, and will be debated in the House of Commons when it receives its Second Reading on Friday, July 5.

As you may know, the Labour Leader Ed Miliband has told his MPs to abstain from a vote on the Bill, making clear yet again that he is too weak to give the public a say. I know there are Labour MPs who want an EU referendum, and I would urge them to ignore their ineffectual leader, back the Bill, and let the British people decide.

I understand that some people disagree with this plan and share the view of those who say that the Government is putting a question mark over Britain’s place in Europe. My response is simple: the question mark is there anyway. Those who refuse to contemplate consulting the British people would only make more likely our eventual exit. That is why I am in favour of a referendum.

I also recognise that other people believe we need a straight in-out referendum and argue we should hold one now. I understand the impatience, but a vote today between the status quo and leaving would be a false choice. It is wrong to ask people to stay before the Government has had a chance to put our relationship with Europe right, and while the EU is still in flux.

When the referendum comes, provided the Government can negotiate a settlement that is good for Britain, then I will campaign strongly for it because I believe that Britain’s national interest is best served in a reformed, flexible, adaptable and open EU.

Karl McCartney was the Conservative Lincoln MP between 2010 and 2017. He is now the Conservative candidate for the city for the next general elections.

By Karl McCartney Karlmccartney

A&E services are facing increased pressure because of Labour’s disastrous GP contract, IT and problems with integration that they failed to address. We have a plan to deal with these long-standing problems which is why the most recent A&E statistics show that we are now meeting the A&E four-hour target.

I want to take this opportunity to pay tribute to the A&E staff who, in 2012-13, dealt with around 22 million people going through A&E with 96% being seen within the four hour standard.

A&E units continue to perform well, with the latest figures showing that the NHS is currently meeting the target with 96.7% being seen within four hours and people waiting an average of 50 minutes for treatment.

I believe that this is a clear indication that our approach in allowing clinicians, rather than targets, to dictate patient care is working to the real benefit of patients.

This is in stark contrast to the NHS in Wales where, under Labour, Health Boards have failed to meet their A&E target since 2009.

I am aware that over the past few years A&E services have been put under increasing pressure. There are nearly 4 million more people using A&E compared with 2004, when Labour carried out its renegotiation of the GP contract.

The new contract had the effect of taking out-of-hours care away from GPs, which has had a clear knock-on effect on access to services.

Vulnerable older people and worried patients are going to A&E because there is no credible alternative which is adding to the pressures already faced by hospitals.

The Government wants to ensure GPs are able to focus to providing patients with proper, integrated care and support and to end the anxiety faced by patients who need out of hours care.

The Department of Health is committed to ensuring better coordination between health and care services. Starting with ten pioneering pilot schemes, its ambition is to make joined-up coordinated care the norm by 2018.

This will be supported by a new rigorous system of inspection to see the focus put firmly back on whether GP practices are providing effective and responsive care for all.

A new Chief Inspector of General Practice will be appointed to make sure this happens.

The Government will also continue to help free up GP practices from the box-ticking culture they and other NHS staff have to work in, to allow them to focus on providing the best quality care.

NHS staff, with whom I meet frequently, particularly those NHS staff at Lincoln County Hospital, are working extremely hard in the face of rising demand but I am confident that the Government will continue to focus on how it can develop better, more integrated community services.

Karl McCartney was the Conservative Lincoln MP between 2010 and 2017. He is now the Conservative candidate for the city for the next general elections.