Rochester and Strood

[Andrew_S]

"Lord Ashcroft @lordashcroft · 54m 54 minutes ago

The campaign against Mark Reckless in Rochester & Strood is now sustained negative attacks against him rather than against UKIP. #willitwork"

twitter.com/LordAshcroft

[Davıd Boothroyd]

Reckless has included a picture of himself with the local NHS Chief Executive in his election address:



And has now been sent this letter:

[Andrew_S]

UKIP, Rochford & Southend East: Floyd Waterworth.

warelane.wordpress.com/category/ukip/

[independentukip]

Hysteria seems to have taken hold of Medway Hospital NHS Foundation trust.

For starters I'm not sure why Mr Reckless should retract something he hasn't said or done.

[johnloony]

If they can't tell the difference between "infer" and "imply" then I don't have any sympathy for their ridiculous position.

[troubadour]

"The most significant by election for 30 years" it has been said. Is it? It's more important than the Eastbourne By election of 1990 that propelled the fall of Thatcher. Really? What is the great significance? An MP, six months from a General Election, changes parties and asks for the endorsement of the local electorate. Some past by elections really did lead to a change in policy. Ribble Valley put a boot into the Poll Tax. This one will lead to a change of rhetoric but nothing else.

[Davıd Boothroyd]

Had it have been me, I would have said that nothing in the fact of the two being pictured together implies Dr Barnes is a political supporter of Mark Reckless to the slightest degree. But instead, UKIP have withdrawn the leaflet: www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-kent-29994011

[independentukip]

Though unless we see/hear evidence to the contrary they may well have finished using the leaflet anyway.

[neilm]

Nov 10, 2014 17:27:59 GMT Davıd Boothroyd said:

Had it have been me, I would have said that nothing in the fact of the two being pictured together implies Dr Barnes is a political supporter of Mark Reckless to the slightest degree. But instead, UKIP have withdrawn the leaflet: www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-kent-29994011

Well indeed. Presumably they won't be allowing candidates into hospitals come election time.

[Sibboleth]

Nov 10, 2014 17:26:18 GMT troubadour said:

"The most significant by election for 30 years" it has been said. Is it?

Isn't that said of, like, about a third of all by-elections?

[Devonian]

Nov 10, 2014 17:09:29 GMT independentukip said:

Hysteria seems to have taken hold of Medway Hospital NHS Foundation trust.

For starters I'm not sure why Mr Reckless should retract something he hasn't said or done.

Reckless has responded

After apparent briefing about the routine use of a photograph of Mark Reckless meeting with the Acting Chief Executive of Medway Hospital, Mark Reckless has questioned Medway hospital's board about its priorities.

He said: "Problems at Medway hospital, most worryingly around one in ten more patients dying there than should be the case, have been left to fester for over a decade under both Labour and Conservative-led governments.

"As a Foundation Trust the Board at Medway hospital is responsible for its performance, but has failed properly to improve it, the trust remaining in special measures. Indeed, despite seriously inadequate standards of clinical care which led to it being place in special measures, Medway hospital's Board was distracted for up to two years by failed plans to merge with Darenth Valley hospital. Incredibly, Medway hospital, as a foundation trust, was meant to be helping Darenth Valley escape from its more direct management by the Department of Health.

"Further, once Medway hospital was placed in special measures, its Board failed either to remove its Chief Executive, or to ensure he had sufficient support to turn round the hospital. When that Chief Executive and the Board Chair later resigned, the Board was overseen by a temporary Chair earning up to £200,000 a year for barely a one day week, with finances put in the hands of a Treasurer earning £40,000 a month.

"Notwithstanding such issues at Board level, throughout this period, and quite properly as the MP, I sought to support the clinical staff at the hospital and their leadership, notably Dr Philip Barnes as Medical Director and latterly Acting Chief Executive.

"As most past and present MPs would during a campaign seeking re-election, I have referred in literature to work I did as the MP, and illustrated it with relevant photographs taken with the agreement of those pictured.

"MPs across the country will have used pictures of themselves with the Chair or Chief Executive of their local hospital or similar in such content. I am not aware of Medway hospital complaining of any Labour MP doing that in the past.

"I have today had an exchange of letters with the Chair of Medway hospital. They do not show my doing anything usual for someone seeking re-election as an MP. They do, however, show extraordinary involvement by an ostensibly neutral chair of an NHS body in an election.

"My reply should have put an end to the matter. Instead, publicly paid press officers appear to have continued briefing this matter, rather than dealing with more pressing matters for a hospital in special measures.

"I am demanding an urgent meeting tomorrow with Mrs Winning to discuss her intervention in this matter.

"I am also asking her Board on an FOI basis to disclose any correspondence or record of discussion in respect of my election leaflet and their Chair's subsequent intervention, whether between Directors, with Medway Foundation Trust employees, or with the Department of Health."

www.ukip.org/questions_for_medway_hospital_board

[Deleted]

Is Mark Reckless really complaining about the NHS policies of the "Conservative-led government"? I was not aware of his constant rebelllions against government policy on this matter, or that his recent defection was related to his former party's positions in this area.
He's got a face on him, hasn't he?

[thirdchill]

Nov 10, 2014 19:33:32 GMT CatholicLeft said:

Os Mark Reckless really complaining about the NHS policies of the "Conservative-led government"? I was not aware of his constant rebelllions against government policy on this matter, or that his recent defection was related to his former party's positions in this area.
He's got a face on him, hasn't he?

When a number of defectors join other parties, they seem to 'discover' issues which didn't concern them much before, or they didn't raise. The 'General Councillors and Other Notable Defections' thread lists quite a few of these.

[Deleted]

Nov 10, 2014 17:09:29 GMT independentukip said:

Hysteria seems to have taken hold of Medway Hospital NHS Foundation trust.

For starters I'm not sure why Mr Reckless should retract something he hasn't said or done.

It isn't remotely suitable material for an election leaflet and warrants an apology from whoever made it or a senior member of the campaign team.

Accidents happen. Doesn't need anything else to happen.

[Deleted]

Nov 10, 2014 17:15:52 GMT johnloony said:

If they can't tell the difference between "infer" and "imply" then I don't have any sympathy for their ridiculous position.

What makes it worse is that they manage to use both in the same letter, with the same apparent sense.

[independentukip]

Nov 10, 2014 21:11:42 GMT joe said:

Nov 10, 2014 17:09:29 GMT independentukip said:

Hysteria seems to have taken hold of Medway Hospital NHS Foundation trust.

For starters I'm not sure why Mr Reckless should retract something he hasn't said or done.

It isn't remotely suitable material for an election leaflet and warrants an apology from whoever made it or a senior member of the campaign team.

Accidents happen. Doesn't need anything else to happen.

You're kidding right?

[maxque]

Nov 10, 2014 22:18:08 GMT independentukip said:

Nov 10, 2014 21:11:42 GMT joe said:

It isn't remotely suitable material for an election leaflet and warrants an apology from whoever made it or a senior member of the campaign team.

Accidents happen. Doesn't need anything else to happen.

You're kidding right?

Why? It used a picture of a person without his authorisation.

[Devonian]

By election hustings debate on BBC Radio Kent right now

[independentukip]

Nov 10, 2014 22:27:09 GMT maxque said:

Nov 10, 2014 22:18:08 GMT independentukip said:

You're kidding right?

Why? It used a picture of a person without his authorisation.

Did he think the photo (which he agreed to be in) was taken for the Reckless family album?

[Deleted]

Nov 10, 2014 22:46:46 GMT independentukip said:

Nov 10, 2014 22:27:09 GMT maxque said:

Why? It used a picture of a person without his authorisation.

Did he think the photo (which he agreed to be in) was taken for the Reckless family album?

At the time of the photo Reckless was the sitting MP.  It is part of this chaps job to interact with the local mp. He is not allowed to back any candidate in an election.