Stockport Express column – December 2021
The news about the Omicron Covid variant is a huge concern just weeks before Christmas, especially given the recent rise in infection rates in Stockport. The new strain poses an enormous challenge for our community, so please continue to observe social distancing guidelines and take up the vaccination, booster, and flu jabs when you are eligible to do so, to protect our NHS and loved ones.
The growing demand on the NHS, coupled with cuts to our health service, has led to long waiting times for treatment. Across Stockport, Greater Manchester and the North West many people are struggling to secure a doctor’s appointment, and last month the Government was forced to admit that the number of qualified GPs fell in 80% of areas. This is completely unacceptable and the Health Secretary must urgently address this matter, as well as make an assessment of the number of available appointments, which he and his Department have failed to do to date.
I was proud to celebrate small and independent businesses across Stockport last weekend as part of ‘Small Business Saturday’. With the Covid pandemic continuing to pose the biggest challenge to our businesses since the Second World War, it made a positive change to be able to celebrate the beating heart of Stockport’s economy, see how so many businesses are going from strength-to-strength since the lockdown restrictions were ended, and be reassured that they will continue to be a core part of our community for many years to come.
The scenes of people crossing the English Channel have been deeply distressing in recent months, and it was incredibly sad to read about the 31 people who died while attempting to reach the safety of our shores. We have a moral responsibility to help those seeking sanctuary in our country, and recently I co-signed a letter to the Home Secretary, alongside several other Greater Manchester MPs, calling for greater support for everyone fleeing persecution and conflict.
As always, if you are a constituent and require support on any issue, please do not hesitate to contact me by emailing navendu.mishra.mp@parliament.uk.
