Lucy Rigby

By Lucy Rigby lucyrigby

I’ve written for The Lincolnite previously about Lincoln’s potential, and that of other regional cities, to become the drivers of Britain’s economy and the current lack of really substantial investment in our cities as compared with London and the South East.

This imbalance is a long-term problem — it existed prior to the financial crisis and it remains now that the economy is finally growing again.

There are other structural problems too. For example, we’re too dependent nationally on one important sector of the economy, financial services. Manufacturing has, comparatively, been neglected. We need a better balance, both geographically and across different sectors. Why? Well because these chronic imbalances are inefficient, unhealthy, unfair and prevent us from achieving our potential.

The best possible way to build a prosperous, sustainable and healthy economy is to be pro-business, but not pro-‘business as usual’ – exactly as the Shadow Chancellor said when he spoke to local business people in Lincoln last fortnight. That means recognising that the future prosperity of the country depends on the relationship between businesses and government, whilst being brave enough to tackle the long-term, structural problems which exist in our economy, to the benefit of all of us. Given Labour’s commitment to fiscal responsibility and reducing the national debt, commitments must involve big reform, not big spending. Government needs to become smarter and more entrepreneurial, nationally and locally.

This week saw the announcement of a very significant part of Labour’s pro-business agenda which promises to be truly empowering for our city and other regional cities too. First and most eye-catching, Whitehall civil servants would lose control of the full revenue from business rates in favour of powerful new city and county regions which would come together in combined authorities. This would provide a strong incentive for combined authorities to invest to drive growth because they will then keep the additional revenue generated.

Second, LEPs would be strengthened to give local businesses a direct say over growth strategies and priorities. Third, more than £30 billion of funding could be devolved to combined authorities, existing local authorities and LEPs over the course of the next parliament. This is three times more than is planned now and would include funding for housing, transport, business support, employment and skills.

The fourth proposal involves recognising the vital role of innovation in our national economy. This is something which Lincoln leads the country at – most notably in the tie-up between Siemens, the University and the Engineering School – and I know is being used a model for development in other industries. We need to set a long-term national funding framework for innovation (just as the last Labour government did for science) and give innovative smaller firms greater access to government research budgets.

These policies would put an end to decades of centralisation and provide cities like ours with genuine power over our own local economy. Coupled with other pro-business measures which Labour have committed to, such as a reduction in business rates for SMEs, support for exporters, maintaining a low rate of corporation tax, expanding high-quality apprenticeships and tackling persistent skills shortages, I believe that our region’s potential – and that of our innovative institutions, authorities and entrepreneurs – could really be unlocked to all our benefit.

Lucy Rigby is Lincoln Labour's candidate to be the city's next MP. She is a solicitor and lives in central Lincoln.

By Lucy Rigby lucyrigby

The handling of the potential closure of Burton Road Surgery has lurched from the severely ill-judged to the nigh on shambolic.  The near 3,000 patients registered at Burton Road GP surgery urgently deserve clarity on the future of their local practice.

Three weeks ago, a patient at the surgery contacted me to raise his concern that his local practice was going to close.  His concern was not unfounded: he had received a letter stating very clearly that “services will no longer be provided from Burton Road surgery and the practice will close on 30 September 2014.” 

Over the next weeks, I heard of other residents’ concerns too and the irritation at the way the letters had been addressed – instead of using patients’ names on the envelopes, some letters were addressed only to “The Occupier”, which meant that patients had discarded the letters, thinking them to be unimportant junk mail, only to find out their importance from neighbours subsequently. 

The very brief details given as to why the surgery is to close were scant and entirely unsatisfactory.  “The ability of smaller practices to provide services in the modern NHS is becoming more challenging” was one reason; “there are a number of other GP practices in the area” was the other.

At this stage, no real consultation was being proposed: residents were invited to “have their say”, but only insofar as managing “a smooth transfer” to other practices.

However, the latest notice posted in the surgery’s window (apparently yesterday) says that the current contract to provide services – held by Lincolnshire Community Health Services – is not due to come to an end until March 2015, as opposed to September 2014. 

The notice heavily infers that closure will not happen.  It says “it is the intention of NHS England to gain public opinion about the service at the practice and engage in an open tender process to offer and provide GP services after March 2015.  This would open the management of the surgery to any provider NHS or otherwise.”

Whilst it would of course be very welcome if the closure of Burton Road surgery is no longer in prospect, it is far from clear that this is the case.  This latest notice would appear to raise more questions than it answers.  

Is the surgery still going to close, or not?  If it is, when is that closure is due to happen: is it September 2014 or March 2015?  

If closure has now been taken off the table, does this mean that all services will continue to be provided from the current location, or may the location change?  If services are to be change over to a different, non-NHS provider, who might those providers be?

The handling of this potential closure of a popular local surgery would appear to be nothing short of shambolic.

There is a severe lack of transparency around the entire process – not least because, as Lincoln Labour Councillor for this area, Donald Nannestad, has made clear in his recent letter to NHS England, the original criteria used to justify the closure were not set out in any detail.  

The uncertainty for Burton Road surgery’s numerous patients, many of whom are elderly, is simply increasing.  They very least they deserve is clarity as to what is being proposed to happen to their local practice.

Lucy Rigby is Lincoln Labour's candidate to be the city's next MP. She is a solicitor and lives in central Lincoln.