There appears to be some confusion as to exactly
'why' former Southport MP John Pugh was expelled from the hospital campaign
group CARES.
CARES was created by bringing together parents and
politicians from different parties with the sole aim of reinstating our lost
children's services. The thought and reasoning behind the idea was a good,
honest one initiated by the Southport Party. It worked well at first on the
face of it but alongside our campaign was the local Champion newspaper which
was campaigning for a Minor Injuries Unit in the town. By day CARES members
were reading how John Pugh "fully" supported the Champion's campaign and by
evening we were meeting with John Pugh who was supporting our aims which totally
conflicted with what he was reported to have said in the Champion. CARES
members could not understand this and when asked by members, John Pugh largely
avoided the issue without properly explaining his motives or loyalties.
After the fantastic protest march of August 2003,
which saw the town united for one aim, the disintegration started to creep in.
Meetings were held with TV crews by some CARES members without telling the
others. Some members even held hospital interviews with TV crews present without
consulting the whole group. Some of the group were supportive of a Minor
Injuries Unit and others were not. A divide had occurred and the members who
were true to the original goal of the campaign, i.e. full restoration of
services, were sadly forced to take action as the other members of the group
were diluting the main aims that CARES was created to follow.
Subsequent to this unfortunate turn of events
CARES democratically voted to expel those members (and stand-in members) who
were 'not' acting in the best interests of the CARES originally-decided (by the
residents of Southport) mandate. This distressing decision was
certainly not taken lightly but the Steering Group had no other alternative
available. The campaign had to be protected from unscheduled and undecided
revision by persons seeking to compromise our position with the NHS trust and
other powers that be. We had a duty to do what we had to for the children's
sake!
Following this understandably unpopular action CARES
members were roundly attacked in the local press by John Pugh MP who even
incredibly brought the private religious beliefs of one of our team of
volunteers into the situation. His personal assistant, Tony Dawson, also
attacked CARES members over a period of several months under the guise of
'Tonio' on a popular Southport chatroom forum. CARES members asked Mr Pugh to
halt this situation but nothing was done. Even Libdem leader Charles Kennedy
was informed yet he did nothing to stop the abuse, although he did promise to
tell Mr Pugh of CARES concerns. Finally Mr Dawson was banned by his ISP from
the chatroom. One of our members later had a suspected miscarriage which she
claims was partially due to the unwarranted stress of the ongoing situation. Mr Dawson's long-standing internet abuse
crusade against CARES volunteers has recently been reported in the Oldham Press a town where he is standing as a political candidate. He was a
stand in
member of CARES during the protest march as Mr Pugh was away on a family
holiday at that time.
P
erhaps now Mr Pugh will
understand why he was 'removed' from the CARES campaign? No doubt that now this factual information has
been uploaded, there will be an outcry of how it is incorrect but people will
argue forever. This is and always has been the truth of the matter. The CARES team, as it now stands, is a highly
committed unit that has stuck together through many bad times but
have come through it stronger and more determined than ever in the continuing
effort to fight for the reinstatement of Southport children's lost emergency
services. We will work with the PCT, NHS Trust and other
campaigners but we will do so on a direct basis. These organisations understand
the CARES stance; we will not allow previous disagreements to tarnish such a
vital issue as the health and well being of the children who live and visit
this town.
CARES have no interest whatsoever in point-scoring
politicians (from any party) who have political axes to grind, name-call others
in the press and on the internet and allow their imagination to run amok
with anyone who fails to share their particular viewpoint.