Watford’s MP criticizes the Conservatives for delaying the hospital rebuild, pushing the start date to 2032, much to the community’s dismay
Watford: Labour’s Matt Turmaine is pretty upset. He’s calling out the previous government for what he calls “disgraceful deception.” This comes after the health secretary announced that the rebuild of Watford General Hospital is now delayed until 2032.
Wes Streeting made the announcement in the House of Commons, saying that the plan to build 40 new hospitals is going to take at least a decade longer than expected. That’s a real bummer for the community.
Turmaine insists the government now has a “proper, considered and achievable timetable” for the project, which was first promised by Boris Johnson back in 2019. He’s not holding back on his criticism of the Tories, claiming they misled everyone about the funding.
He said, “The Conservatives’ so-called ‘fully-funded’ scheme was nothing but a sham. They tricked people into thinking the money was there when it really wasn’t.” That’s a strong statement!
On the flip side, the Conservatives are pushing back, saying Labour is just playing politics. They argue that the funding was “fully secured” and that Labour had committed to the rebuild before the last election.
Watford Conservative Association Chair Stephen Woodard expressed disappointment, saying it’s clear Labour misled voters. He’s worried about the hospital project being on hold and what that means for local residents.
Turmaine believes the Tories need to take the blame for this delay, saying Labour is just trying to fix the mess left behind. Watford’s Mayor, Peter Taylor, also voiced his frustration on social media, saying it’s disappointing that the government has pushed back the hospital’s rebuild.
He mentioned that they’ve worked hard on the plans, improving access and getting the necessary permissions. In the Commons, Streeting said the new timetable is “honest, funded, and can actually be delivered.” Let’s hope so!
