UNISON regions and branches all over the country are taking to the streets this weekend, in a last-ditch effort to defeat the government’s destructive health and social care bill.
The latest NHS Big Weekend comes on the eve of the bill’s final reading in the House of Lords, on Monday.
If peers refuse to make any further amendments, the government is expected to pass the bill into law, when it returns to the Commons on Tuesday.
UNISON’s efforts are focused on both Lords and MPs – and in particular the Liberal Democrats. Lib Dem MPs have been warned that if they abandon the NHS, their voters will abandon them at the polls.
The spotlight on Monday will be on Lord Owen’s amendment, calling on the bill to be delayed until the government publishes the NHS Risk Register.
Lord Owen will be taking with him into the chamber the Save the NHS petition, which has over half a million signatures.
And this week alone over 4,000 UNISON members have adopted a peer – the biggest number so far – specifically asking Lords to vote for Lord Owen’s amendment.
Looking to the Commons, UNISON South West is calling on its branches to take action in a “High Noon Showdown”.
The region, which has 15 of the 57 Liberal Democrat MPs – more than any other region – hopes that Lib Dems can still be persuaded to rebel against the government.
“The region is calling on everyone who holds the NHS dear to their hearts to lobby their nearest Lib Dem constituency office at noon on Saturday, seeking their support for the NHS and to defeat this outrageous Tory bill,” said regional head of health Simon Newell.
Mr Newell said that the Lib Dem conference delegates, who refused to support the bill, would also be putting pressure on their MPs.
And he added: “The Lib Dem MPs have to ask themselves if the ‘party faithful’ will continue to support them during election campaigns. If they abandon the NHS, their voters will abandon them.”
The many other UNISON activities include:
- Yorkshire and Humberside: Joint union event today, at Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg’s Sheffield constituency office;
- Eastern: Drop the Bill rally on Saturday, 12noon – 4pm, at the QEII Hospital, Welwyn Garden City;
- North West: Rally at the NHS Business Services Authority, in Chorley; and
- South East: Leafleting and petitioning on Saturday, in Crawley.
Add your name to the Save the NHS petition
Sign the petition calling on the government to drop the bill