Conservative MP Christian Wakeford has defected to the Labour party in yet another crushing blow for Boris Johnson.
Mr Wakeford, MP for Bury South, announced his defection with a scathing letter to the PM just moments before Prime Minister’s Questions.
In the letter, the former Tory MP wrote that he wishes to join a political party that the country ‘can be proud of, and not embarrassed by’.
He added that Mr Johnson and the wider Conservative party has proven to be ‘incapable of offering the leadership and government that this country deserves’.
Christian Wakeford says Boris Johnson is ‘incapable of leadership’
Mr Wakeford, who was elected in 2019, added that the Tory party is ‘out of touch’ with his hard-working constituents.
ADVERTISEMENT
He was one of the MPs who wrote a letter of no confidence in the Prime Minister after reports of lockdown parties at Downing Street emerged.
His full letter is below, touching on the ‘disgraceful way’ that Boris Johnson has behaved in recent weeks.
ADVERTISEMENT
I would like to welcome Christian Wakeford MP to the Labour Party.
I’m determined to build a new Britain which guarantees security, prosperity and respect for all and I’m delighted that Christian has decided to join us in this endeavour. pic.twitter.com/rp4sEyc0t1
Sir Keir Starmer, leader of the Labour party, has welcomed the Mr Wakeford’s move.
He said: “He has always put the people of Bury South first.
“As Christian said, the policies of the Conservative government are doing nothing to help the people of Bury South and indeed are only making the struggles they face on a daily basis worse.
ADVERTISEMENT
“People across Britain faces a cost of living crisis but this incompetent Tory government is asleep at the wheel, distracted by a chaos of its own making.”
Dear Prime Minister, I am writing to inform you of my decision to resign from the Conservative Party and apply to join the Labour Party.
From today I will be sitting as the Labour MP for Bury South because I have reached the conclusion that the best interests of my constituents are served by the programme put forward by Keir Starmer and his party.
I care passionately about the people of Bury South and I have concluded that the policies of the Conservative government that you lead are doing nothing to help the people of my constituency and indeed are only making the struggles they face on a daily basis worse.
ADVERTISEMENT
Britain needs a government focused on tackling the cost of living crisis and providing a path out of the pandemic that protects living standards and defends the security of all.
It needs a government that upholds the highest standards of integrity and probity in public life and sadly both you and the Conservative Party as a whole have shown themselves incapable of offering the leadership and government this country deserves.
Being elected as MP for Bury South was the proudest day of my life. I care passionately about the area and will always be grateful to those who have supported me.
Today, however, I am in no doubt that they will be better served by my joining a party that genuinely has their interests at heart.
I have wrestled with my conscience for many months, and you will know that I have made my policy misgivings clear on many occasions in private and sometimes in public.
ADVERTISEMENT
I can no longer support a government that has shown itself consistently out of touch with the hard working people of Bury South and the country as a whole.
Under Keir Starmer, the Labour Party is back firmly in the centre of British politics, in touch with working people, and ready to provide an alternative government that this country can be proud of, and not embarrassed by.
My decision is about much more than your leadership and the disgraceful way you have conducted yourself in recent weeks. However, I don’t believe all politicians are the same and I do believe in the power of politics to be a force for good.
So does Keir Starmer.
He has shown that integrity in the way he has lead his party on issues that matter to me, not least the vital challenge of combatting antisemitism.
ADVERTISEMENT
I will always put the people of Bury South first and will continue to speak out for the changes the area needs.
Changes that can only be delivered by a Labour government under Sir Keir Starmer.
Featured image: Richard Townshend Photography
News
NHS urges people to book flu jabs ahead of winter as A&E attendances hit record 2.5 million
Emily Sergeant
The NHS is urging people get their flu jabs booked ahead of the upcoming season.
After A&E attendances hit a record 2.5 million in July, and staff experienced the three busiest months ever recorded between May and July in emergency departments, the NHS wants to do everything it can to ‘ease demand’ ahead of winter flu season arriving.
Flu season usually peaks in December and January, so the health service is starting to administer the vaccinations from autumn onwards to ensure fewer people are hospitalised.
Flu can cause significant issues for children, pregnant women, older adults, and people with some long-term health conditions – with issues including hospitalisation and, in certain cases, severe respiratory failure or even death.
It’s estimated that around 104,000 hospitalisations could have been avoided last year, which is why the NHS is keen to cut that number this winter.
From today, the national booking system is open for those eligible to book their flu vaccine, with appointments starting from 1 September.
Those eligible will be able to get their flu vaccination from a variety of places in their local community, including their GP practices and participating high street pharmacies.
The jab is given in injectable form in the vast majority of cases, while a nasal spray is provided for most children.
“Vaccinations play a vital role in protecting those most at risk from flu and they are also crucial for relieving pressures on our NHS over the winter months,” explained Health Secretary Yvette Cooper.
“Everyone who is eligible for a free vaccination will be notified through their phone or in the post, and the system for booking appointments is now open. Together, we can save lives, support the most vulnerable, and ensure our NHS is there for everyone who needs it this winter.”
The national booking system is now open so that eligible people – including pregnant women and children – can pre-book their flu vaccinations when appointments start on 1 September.
Manchester City Council approves petition calling for Market Street to be less of a ‘sensory overload’
Daisy Jackson
A petition has been launched calling on Manchester City Council to review the management of Market Street, hoping to make it ‘more peaceful’ and less of a ‘sensory overload’.
All Mancs know that a walk down Market Street is no easy undertaking – it’s a hugely busy shopping street and pedestrian thoroughfare, often populated by buskers, street performers, charity fundraisers, and roving stalls.
One does not simply ‘pop to the shops’ in Manchester city centre. Instead, we pinball our way along the street which often feels like an urban obstacle course.
And now, an online petition has been launched and approved by Manchester City Council, calling for the street’s management (and that of Piccadilly Gardens) to be reviewed.
The petition calls on the council to assess ‘the cumulative effect of these activities, including excessive noise, sensory overload, obstruction, and difficulty navigating the city centre’.
And while it is ‘not directed at any particular group of people, business, political belief, charity, religion, or organisation’, the petition organisers believe that the large number of organised street solicitation, amplified sound, gazebos and stalls, and organised gatherings, are all significantly impacting pedestrian movement.
“These spaces should remain accessible, comfortable, safe, and easy to navigate for everyone,” the petition states.
A ‘quiet’ Monday lunchtime on Market Street. Credit: The Manc Group
Management measures for both Market Street and Piccadilly Gardens that have been put forward include designated locations for organised activities, permits, reasonable controls on noise levels, a review of street trading locations, and more measures to reduce obstruction in high-footfall areas.
It reads: “The review should also consider whether the concentration of multiple organised activities within the same locations operating during the same time slots is appropriate, and whether a more balanced distribution across the city centre would improve accessibility while continuing to respect the rights to freedom of expression, peaceful assembly, and legitimate trading.
“The aim is not to prevent lawful expression, peaceful assembly, or legitimate trading. Instead, it is to ensure that Manchester’s busiest public spaces remain welcoming, accessible, and functional for everyone by achieving an appropriate balance between the many activities taking place within them, while protecting the rights of all who use these shared public spaces.”
The petition has made its way onto the Manchester Reddit subreddit, where one person described Market Street as an ‘absolute sensory overloaded obstacle course’ and a ‘sweetcorn scented sleep paralysis demon’.
The petition calls for more thought into the organisation of traders, performers, and more on Market Street. Credit: The Manc Group
One person commented: “Literally walked down market street just yesterday and thought about this, very glad something might actually be done. I moved away years ago and it was never good, but yesterday I’d never seen anything like it. Preachers, half a fun fair, sweet stand, rapper, guy dancing in a banana suit and more. It’s absolutely f*cked.”
Someone else posted: “People can practice whatever religion they want, but it’s horrible hearing loud chanting music, combined with two other religions doing the same thing, combined with random preaching, and then the buskers that seems to think if they’re super loud it means that are super good.”
You can see and sign the petition to review Market Street HERE.
Daisy Jackson -
19th January 2022 
