A would-be MP is hoping to give his election campaign a shot in the arm – by campaigning to save services at his local hospital.
Neal Stote aims to snatch the hotly-contested Redditch seat after spending a decade fighting cuts at the town’s Alexandra Hospital.
He aims to emulate the achievement of Dr Richard Taylor, who stunned the political establishment when he was elected in 2001 on a platform of reversing cuts to Kidderminster Hospital.
Mr Stote decided to stand after children’s A&E services were moved away from the Alex to Worcester, 17 miles away.
The issue was thrown into the spotlight when Redditch eight-year-old Callum Cartlidge died from a heart attack in March after he was taken to Worcestershire Royal Hospital rather than his home-town hospital.
Mr Stote, is standing for National Health Action, the party set up by Dr Taylor.
The party, which is standing five candidates across the country, wants to end privatisation of health services, end use of PFI funding for hospitals and invest in social care and mental health services.
He has previously been an unsuccessful Labour candidate in local council elections but has come to the conclusion that the mainstream parties, despite pledges, have failed to defend hospitals from “creeping cut backs and privatisation”.
Mr Stote said: “We had a Labour government and Labour MP until 2010 and then a Conservative Government and MP but it’s the same story, whoever is in control.
“I’ve met a lot of politicians and spoken with health secretaries.
“Our hospital was at risk under Labour and cut under the Conservatives.
“As an MP, I will have one vote in Parliament, no more or less than a Tory or Labour MP.
“But I will not be party voting fodder subject to the party whip – I will always vote to defend our health services.”
The Redditch election has been a swing seat in recent years, held by former Home Secretary Jacqui Smith for Labour until 2010 and Conservative Karen Lumley since.
Now she has stepped down the town will get a new MP on June 8.
The other candidates are Rebecca Blake (Labour), Susan Juned (Liberal Democrat), Rachel Maclean (Conservative), Paul Swansborough (UKIP), Kevin White (Green) and Sally Woodhall (Independent).
