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News and Comment December 2022

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1 December - An inevitable change of political direction

Two months ago BiB reported on former Councillor Dave Putson’s Cost of Living crisis meeting. It wasn’t at all what I had expected and whether the pro-Putin anti-West agenda of one attendee and his mate added to the entertainment value of the meeting is debatable. Nevertheless I thought it interesting enough to go to Dave’s second meeting.

I was a little puzzled by the invitation which headlined an address by a Consultant Paediatrician. Fearing a diatribe on ULEZ I took the back row seat nearest the exit prepared to make use of it if the theme was the evils of the motorized economy which our Mayor is so keen to see killed off.

How wrong I was, Jessica, for that is the Consultant’s name never once mentioned the dreaded P word and instead delivered a devastating insight into local living conditions and the effects on children’s health.

She was very worried about children’s breathing problems and said the infamous case of Awaab Ishak in Rochdale is very far from being unique. It is all around us in Woolwich and Plumstead and Erith and Abbey Wood. All the areas served by QEH.

It is down to mould in poorly maintained rented houses that are too expensive for the occupants to heat. Half the score or so children in her care right now are there solely because of poor living conditions.

Cases of rickets are rife and scurvy is not unknown. Breastfeeding mothers are so undernourished that their children become undernourished too.

Children are taken to A&E to take advantage of the long waiting times because they get a meal and it is the best way of seeing them fed properly.

Some young people attempt suicide when their parents’ inability to buy a new uniform for a growing child results in bullying over their appearance.

Housing conditions are occasionally so poor that children requiring care cannot go home because their houses are deemed too dangerous for the health of visiting carers, and so they are forced to remain in hospital.

A patient survey in the paediatrics department showed that 38% of them were being treated because of poor housing conditions, 42% had no heating, 22% could not afford to buy nappies, 32% were eating unhealthily and 19% had missed appointments because they had not got the money for the bus or train fare.

When challenged on damp the Council’s reaction is to advise the opening of windows and less use of dryers. Nothing else. No real help. It was alleged (maybe by an audience member) that they simply don’t care.

Once again Thamesmead East Councillor Larry Ferguson showed a degree of humility and intelligence that did him credit not often seen within Bexley Council and slowly but surely the debate moved around to ULEZ. As I suspected, no one was wholly for it and most absolutely against it. The best argument was that it was another [not so] small step in the right direction which began with the Clean Air Acts of 1956 and 1968.

No one disagreed when I suggested that an extended ULEZ was no longer needed as ‘polluting’ vehicles are disappearing at a rapid rate anyway. I also asked the medic how it was that I breathed a yellow smog as a youngster and lived opposite the gas works which consumed hundreds of tons of coal daily and suffered no ills and wouldn’t more lives be saved if Khan spent his £250 million ULEZ implementation costs on improving cold and damp homes? The latter produced only a wry smile but the smog question was answered by an erudite Dave Putson.

His highly technical response might be summarised as sulphur is a very different and relatively harmless pollutant and burning diesel fuel produces nasties that combine with something or other to produce something even worse. Well beyond my level of comprehension.

There was also talk of micro-plastics getting into everything so presumably if the discussion went on long enough someone would have brought up the subject of tyre dust, but the end of the meeting was nigh.

In a room filled with people who at one time would have been solid Labour no one suggested that that party is the answer to all our ills. In fact Tony Blair’s excessive use of PFIs was blamed for the level of interest payments currently emptying the public purse.

No one said anything to alarm this former Tory voter and whilst it is difficult to see how such a small group can change government policy or better still bring Sunak crashing down their efforts are welcomed and may grow into something bigger. Such is my discontent with Sunak and his cronies I made a five pound donation to their fighting fund. (I suspect most of it goes on hall hire.)

As you will have gathered, Boris Johnson slowly strangled my Conservative inclinations and Rishi Sunak killed them stone dead. Something to bear in mind perhaps when reading these meanderings. And while I am about it, I am no longer a Royalist either thanks to that prat who calls himself the Prince of Wails.

 

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