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The following tweets contain the draft of a letter for you to copy and send to your MP, the whip, your local party /group office, your local news paper and social media

Letter - posted & emailed. Post to PM at House of Commons address. Email to chief whip at copied address. Your MP email address available at: https://members.parliament.uk/members/Commons 

Your number & street
Your town
Post code
Your email
Your phone number
MP’s name
House of Commons
London
SW1A 0AA

Cc: UK Prime Minister
[email protected] (Chief Whip)

{Day} August 2020
Serious concerns re the NHS’ ability to cope with Covid19 and the end of Brexit transition

Dear{Your MP}
There has been an increasing number of very disturbing facts coming though in the news.

These suggest, even at the height of a global crisis, the Government is more intent on implementing its political ideology than preserving the lives of UK citizens. I’d like to highlight three particular examples.

1. There has been much conversation since March about contact tracing. The Government has bypassed local infrastructure that was already in place and could easily have been developed to create a fully-effective track and trace service.

The Government chose to ignore it, created a nationwide service, awarded the contract to SERCO (an organisation that has already failed spectacularly on previous Government contracts and happens to be run by a member of a senior Tory’s family).

The latest article in the Guardian highlights the ongoing issues. https://www.theguardian.com/world/2020/aug/03/uk-virologists-criticise-handling-coronavirus-testing-contracts. It is not journalists making this point, it is 70 expert clinical virologists.

It seems to be widely accepted (globally, not just the in the UK) that, without a fully effective track, trace and control operation, it will not be possible to control the spread of the virus.

2.On 3rd August, the Government asked the pharmaceutical industry to create a stockpile of medicines. Aside the fact that the 6-week supply it is suggesting will be hugely challenging to obtain given current global circumstances, 6 weeks is far too short,

given supply lines are likely to be strangled for months after the end of Brexit transition on 31st December. In 2018, Dr Philip Lee (then an MP) tried to amend the Trade Bill to help prevent the short supply of medicines.

He tweeted again about this on 3rd August (Thread: https://twitter.com/DrPhillipLee/status/1290340026396672000?s=03 ). At a Select Committee meeting in July, industry representatives made it very clear a hard Brexit would mean additional costs for the industry and supply issues.

It is worth noting from the Government notice in Faisal Islam’s post (included in Dr Lee’s thread) that the Government does not actually intend to do anything: it is asking the industry to take responsibility.

The Government cannot claim this is a new issue, however, it has completely ignored pleas for help and guarantees of supply. There are millions of people reliant on essential drugs and many are extremely concerned for their lives, causing huge worry and immense stress.

3.Despite what is says, there is clear evidence from the Bills being passed through Parliament that the Government’s intention is to open up parts of the NHS to US companies.

This was confirmed again on 3rd August with a reminder of the leaked emails from Dr Liam Fox which were discussed publicly in the run up to the General Election.

This must result in the Government not investing in and building the best NHS services it can, within its control, as the focus is elsewhere. It is another aspect of the ideology demonstrated in the first point above.

So we find ourselves in a situation where the country already has circa 70,000 excess deaths, does not have in place the most critical tools to control the spread of the virus, and (through its stance on the future relationship with the EU)

is creating a situation where it knows drug supplies will be squeezed and more people will die unnecessarily. Given the prime role of Government is to look after the welfare of its citizens, the Government’s strategies, tactics and philosophies seem 180 degrees at odds with its

and, quite frankly, murderous.
As my MP, I would hope that you would be equally concerned about this situation as I am. The Government’s approach will continue to cost lives in your constituency and, without wishing to be harsh, unless you take a firm stance you may reasonably

be considered to be complicit.

I would very much appreciate your views and specifically assurances that the NHS will be appropriately and fully supported. I would also appreciate your personal assurance that no lives will be lost as a result of shortages of essential drugs.

I look forward to your reply.
Yours sincerely.

{Your Name}

Copy to local press, social media (remove personal details), party office, whip.