A message from David
David Rundle: experienced, liberal and local
Thank you for visiting this website. I am a life-long Liberal Democrat and am proud to have represented the party as LibDem Parliamentary Candidate for Banbury constituency in the 2010 General Election. In that election, we increased our vote and are the clear challengers to the Conservatives in the constituency.
Under party rules, the role of Parliamentary Candidate ends six months after the General Election, so this site is now of historical value. I continue to blog about politics on my personal site. So, if you want updates on my views of the latest political developments, that’s the place to look.
On this site, you will find out more about me, what I stand for and some of the important local issues in the 2010 election . Down the side of this screen, you will see a listing of ‘news and views’ which gives you updates from me, and across the top, a set of tabs with less time-specific pieces of information.
It does remain relevant to say a little about me: I have strong local connections with Banbury, which I have known all my life and where my mother lives (as I explain in an article on this site). Through my involvement with Oxfordshire politics, I have a close understanding of the problems and challenges facing both our local towns and our rural communities. Too often, the two other main parties lack the vision or the will to help local people. I continue to believe we in the Liberal Democrats can provide a better future for the residents of Bicester, Banbury and the surrounding villages — from Hook Norton in the west, to Fringford in the east and Cropredy in the north.
The national outcome of the election was, I think it’s fair to say, a surprise to everyone: a hung parliament but not hung enough — there were only two possible combinations which could have created a majority government. As Labour and the Tories would not speak to each other, the only practicable result was the Conservative and LibDem coalition that came into being. The role of government is rarely easy and that is especially true in these difficult financial times. But I am pleased to see how Liberal Democrats in power are enacting positive changes — like taking the poorest out of income tax and making sure more decisions are made locally — that reflect the principles which we Liberals hold dear.
Why in the NHS reforms are doctors being expected to handle administrative matters? Medics are highly trained and capable in medical matters. I have seen doctors hearing screams of pain, treating blood soaked casualties, inserting needles, and enabling a human body to be held together until further treatment became available to rectify the situation to the greatest extent possible. They have done this as a professional necessity without showing too many signs of alarm.
I have seen doctors being given a piece of paper and they hold it at arm’s length like a dead rat, a look in their eyes hoping the thing would go away, and giving off an aura of panic.
Medics are trained in medical matters not admin. The idea of handing over the administration of the NHS to doctors is the thin end of the wedge. They will need help, which means employing other people to do that side of things, until the people doing that side of things are running the NHS. Accountants come in. Doctors have to do as they are told. Funds are given to the accountants to handle and if they say ‘ this is too expensive’, the doctors cannot do their jobs.
Ideas in place before the ‘listening’ started are continuing.
Yes, there has been a great deal of profligacy within the service. Changing the shape of the service is not the answer.
I believe investigating and pruning, perhaps train some people to a slightly higher level to save costs – more highly trained midwives freeing up gynecologists as an example. I believe this is how things are in Holland.