Hertfordshire: Council Agrees To Protest About Failure To Build New Superhospital

10.41.26am GMT Thu 30th Nov 2006

A majority of the county council backed a Lib Dem motion yesterday condemning the decision not to proceed with a superhospital in the Welwyn Hatfield area.

Lib Dem Allan Witherick, who introduced the motion, said: 'It is quite clear that Labour strung us along so as to try and save votes and seats in the 2005 election, which is presumably why they guiltily did not support our motion yesterday.

'This county is growing and needs decent health facilities. Chronic mismanagement of resources combined with the dishonest obsession of the Government with PFI as a means of financing has led to the position in which we are condemned to use second best facilities.'

Lib Dem Malcolm Cowan added: 'This County's taxes subsidise the rest of the country. It would be nice to get something back. But instead it's bad trains, bad roads and bad hospital facilities. Occasionally we get the odd broken promise but that's all.

'What's really annoying is that were it not for the need to use PFI rather than general taxation - all to keep Gordon Brown's figures looking decent - the project would have been affordable. This is accountancy gone mad.'

ENDS

Contacts:

Allan Witherick Tel: 07957 464569

Malcolm Cowan: 01707 324723

Notes to editors: Without this motion from the Liberal Democrats the decision over the 'super-hospital' would have gone unmarked by the county council.