Dismay as hospital cuts banner is axed from Redditch Town Hall - The Redditch Standard

Dismay as hospital cuts banner is axed from Redditch Town Hall

Redditch Editorial 27th Apr, 2017   0

OUTRAGE has greeted news that the borough council has had to take down the ‘Say no to cuts at the Alex’ banner from outside the Town Hall.

It follows a complaint from a member of the public that it could be in breach of impartiality rules in the run up to the General Election on June 8.

This is despite it hanging proudly in full sight during the last General Election in 2015 as well as other borough, county and police and crime commissioner elections since it was first put up.

“I’m stunned,” said Councillor Bill Hartnett (Lab, Church Hill), the leader of Redditch borough council.




“I do not know why it has suddenly become an issue for someone to object to it and ask for it to be taken down.

“The council are as one on the issue of the Alex and every time we have moved something on the Alex no one has ever voted against it.


“I do not know what has changed.”

The Alex has lost a steady stream of services in recent times, including maternity, major emergency care, major gynaecology care and in-patient paediatric care.

Meanwhile Worcestershire Acute Hospitals NHS Trust is short of both doctors and nurses and last year ran up a deficit of £59million.

Neal Stote, the former chair of the Save the Alex campaign which disbanded earlier this year, said: “I can only interpret this as someone not wanting the state of our local hospital to be an issue in the forthcoming General Election.

“That banner has been there for a long time and suddenly someone wants to gag the people. No wonder people become disillusioned with politics.”

A spokesperson for the borough council said: “Particular care should be taken during the pre-election period on material that is displayed on Council owned buildings. As such we have been asked to take down banners from our buildings and have subsequently removed the ‘Save the Alex’ Banner from the Town Hall.”

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