Adam Thompson

Thank you, Madam Deputy Speaker. I will continue to make points about the health system in coastal communities. I thank my hon. Friend the Member for Portsmouth North (Amanda Martin) for her intervention. The fact is that coastal communities have suffered for the same reason that the post-industrial midlands and north have: the economy has changed, and the health provision has changed with it. A good part of that change is the swirling nature of markets, consumer interests and all that, but undeniably political choices were made. The route to recovery for those places, whether we live next to the sea or far away from it, is economic growth. That is as true in the health space as it is everywhere else. For that, we need investment. I have no doubt that a great many of our coastal communities suffer from infrequent, expensive and unreliable deregulated services, particularly in the health sector, that have been cut time and time again. There is a lot more that I could talk about, and I know that the various crises are really biting in many coastal communities, but I want to end my speech by saying that I cannot support the Bill as written, because I agree with the Prime Minister. What we need is growth in every postcode, in the health sector and across all of society. Our problems are not created by geography, even if they are reinforced by it. Ultimately, the problem is that our economy and our health service have been imbalanced for too long. Regardless of whether someone is on the North sea, looks out across the channel or, like me, lives in the very heart of the midlands, where they live has been left behind because of political and ideological choices made by successive Governments. I am proud to be part of a Government who recognise that fact and are finally striving to correct our nation’s course—not pitting us against one another, but pulling us all together.