Email #41 (Guest Collaborator)

Dear Ms Harman,

Thank you for taking the trouble to represent us an MP.

Although I am not the actual socialist mum, I am writing this in her support as both being a mother and a socialist are full time jobs, and don’t always leave time for correspondence. However I am a mother, and my political leanings are far to the left, so I am acting in solidarity with one of my many sisters and writing to you about your political leanings.

You have been a politician for some time now, and have seen your party move ever further to the right, until now they are just behind the Tories. This is an interesting strategy and leaves me wondering whose votes you are aiming to get.

It is your economic strategy that worries me most though. Economics is a relatively new science, and as such goes through rapid and frequent changes. Perhaps this why Labour’s strategy is a little behind. You do not have to be a progressive economist to believe that austerity is not good for large economies. In both the short and long term it stifles growth, leaving business and the public disillusioned and poorer in varying degrees. Why do you not oppose this structure? I am left with the conclusion that you do not care or you do not understand.

Then it comes to health. It is well known that large events and health are connected. There is always a surge in heart attacks after earthquakes and economic crashes. But health and the economy are connected in more subtle and insidious ways. Poverty leads to poor nutrition and obesity, it is associated with higher incidences of smoking, drug use and child abuse. Our NHS is working very hard to deal with natural effects of the entire population simply being alive all at once. It isn’t prepared to deal with the physical and emotional effects of austerity.

I would ask Ms Harman, re-read the figures. Ask real economists. Look at what has happen to countries practising even the mild form of austerity considered here. Make policy based on as much fact as you can find.

Make policy based not your political leanings, but what is actually best for the country.

Yours sincerely

Catherine Safdar