Future of hospital seen as a priority

Saturday 24th April 2010, 10:45AM BST.

Less than 24 hours after the second national debate a number of Shropshire candidates went head-to-head in a battle of their own as BBC Radio Shropshire held its fifth and final radio debate yesterday.

Main party candidates for The Wrekin set out their policies with Telford’s Princess Royal Hospital top of the list.

Liberal Democrat Ali Daw said: “Let’s insist on a decision because just letting it sit is very bad for the locals. Nobody does actually know what’s happening and when you have that level of uncertainty it undermines confidence.”

Mark Pritchard, who has been Conservative MP for the area, said: “We need a fully functioning district hospital. I collected one of the largest political petitions in Shropshire’s history with 29,000 people signing my parliamentary petition.”

Meanwhile Labour’s Paul Kalinauckas said: “We are going to bring in foundation trusts, a form of co-operative. Become a member and you get a vote and that enables you to vote for a public board of governors.”

Malcolm Hurst, candidate for the UK Independence Party, said that his party would scrap tax for anyone earning less than £11,500 and make sure there was a minimum of £130 a week given to every pensioner over 65.

BNP candidate Susan Harwood did not make a presentation because she was ill.