Goole and Pocklington MP Sir David Davis has said meetings have been held about the future of Goole hospital, and he has been told no firm decisions have been made. Sir David says he has made it very clear that no decisions should be taken without consulting himself, East Riding Council and residents.  

Meanwhile, the NLAG hospital trust says it is worried about misinformation circulating.

To what extent can we take anything the public is being told at face value?

Sir David’s post - which appeared on the All About Goole Facebook page - added that himself and two Goole North Ward East Riding councillors (the leader of the council and the portfolio holder for culture, leisure and tourism)9 will continue to do their best for the people of Goole. The statement referenced the East Riding Council leader’s campaign to be elected as the first East Yorkshire and Hull mayor. All three are members of the Conservative party, so the statement is a party political statement linking the issue of the hospital to the East Riding Council leader’s campaign to become mayor of East Yorkshire and to the official opposition to the Goverment. From May 2010 to July 2024, the Conservative party was in government, and much of the rundown and deterioration of Goole hospital took place during that time, rather than the just over 5 months since the new Goverment came into power.

What about the hospital trust ? They have planted the idea that the hospital might close, while expressing shock and dismay at the rumours that are circulating. Goole residents are outraged, have started a petition, and set up a campaign committee, to bring pressure to bear to keep the hospital open. Councillors’ attitudes have changed from saying it’s divisive and irresponsible fake news to calling for the hospital to be kept open, and leading local figures from the party that forms His Majesty’s Official Opposition are on the warpath. 

Which will all be very handy when dealing with the Department for Health’s review of the NHS, and having discussions with the Govt about funding. « Unless we get additional funding, we can’t keep Goole hospital open. Local residents and opposition parties are up in arms. A non-Labour party candidate for the East Yorkshire Mayoral elections has Goole hospital in the ward they represent on East Riding Council. So, closing Goole hospital could cost the Labour candidate for East Yorkshire Mayor the election. »

I don’t have any inside information, but it is possible that the controversy around Goole hospial is a negotiating tactic on the part of NLAG.

Whether it will work is another matter because the new Labour Government seems determined to be the most unpopular Westminster Government ever, and to alienate as many groups of people as possible – pensioners with winter fuel payments and WASPI’s, farmers, small business owners, the hospitality sector…I encountered a first responder of my acquaintance who responded to « hello how are you? » with a furious tirade about how Keir Starmer and Wes Streeting have so alienated first responders, it wouldn’t be surprising if they all stopped volunteering.

Interesting times in so many ways.

If you have any time left over from putting marzipan and royal icing on the turkey, pickled onions in the mince pies, and sausage and sage and onion stuffing in the Christmas pudding, have a look at Bridlington’s precept. Again, Bridlington has parks and other fine facilities, out of council tax, not extra precept. Bridlington’s precept is £304,000 this financial year…https://bridlington.gov.uk/wp-content/uploads/2024/03/Budget-2024-2025.pdf