Independent Community and Health Concern
 |
This article relies on references to primary sources. (August 2008) |
| Independent Kidderminster Hospital and Health Concern | |
|---|---|
| Leader | Dr Richard Taylor |
| Chairman | Cllr. Howard Martin |
| Founded | 2000 |
| Headquarters | Kidderminster |
| Ideology | Restoration of Kidderminster Hospital's casualty unit |
| International affiliation | None |
| European affiliation | None |
| European Parliament group | None |
| Colours | Pink |
| Local government[1] |
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| Website | |
| http://www.healthconcern.org.uk/ | |
Independent Community and Health Concern, previously Independent Kidderminster Hospital and Health Concern (often known by the shorter name Health Concern) is a political party based in Kidderminster, United Kingdom. It grew out of the campaign to restore the casualty unit at Kidderminster Hospital, and the National Health Service is still its primary focus, but the party has since diversified.
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Dr Richard Taylor [edit]
The party had one MP in the House of Commons, Dr Richard Taylor, who won a surprise landslide victory in the 2001 general election standing for the Wyre Forest constituency, which includes Kidderminster. He was the only person not from a major London or national party elected as an MP in the 2001 Parliament.[2] Taylor was re-elected as member for Wyre Forest in the 2005 election, albeit with a considerably reduced majority. On both occasions, Health Concern benefited from a decision by the Liberal Democrats not to put up a candidate of their own. However, the party lost its only seat in the 2010 election to the Conservative candidate, Mark Garnier, by a margin of 2,643 votes; on this occasion the Liberal Democrats did put up a candidate who attracted 6,040 votes.
Local government [edit]
The KHHC is also active in local government, although it has lost much support in recent years. Before the 2004 local elections, it held 16 seats on Wyre Forest district council, making it the single biggest party, but in those elections it lost half of these seats to the Conservative Party.[3] The 2005 local elections for Worcestershire County Council, held on the same day as the general election, also saw Health Concern perform poorly, losing five of its six seats. However, in 2006 local elections for the district council, it held its own, making one net gain to take its representation from eight to nine. Above that, in the May 2007 local elections, their representation was again increased from nine to 10 members.
County councillors [edit]
Health Concern have three councillors at the county-level: two on Worcestershire County Council and one on Shropshire Council (for Cleobury Mortimer, a town just over the border). These seats were won in 2009 and were held in 2013.
Organisation [edit]
According to the Electoral Commission's register of parties, its leader is Dr Taylor, Peter Young is the nominating officer, Keith Robertson is treasurer, and Howard Martin is campaigns officer. The party does not have a formal membership. It had expenditure of about £12,000 and income of about £9,000 in the 2005 calendar year.
External links [edit]
References [edit]
- ^ Keith Edkins (30 November 2009). "Local Council Political Compositions". Retrieved 2 December 2009.
- ^ Tory MP Andrew Hunter joins DUP BBC News, 10 December 2004
- ^ "Wyre Forest council". BBC News Online. Retrieved 31 December 2009.
