Joe Robertson, Member of Parliament for Isle of Wight East, has been elected to the House of Commons Health and Social Care Select Committee.
There are only 2 places for Conservative MPs on the cross-party Committee, however, Joe was elected despite only being in the House of Commons since July. Liberal Democrat MP Layla Moran has been elected as Chair.
The East Wight MP will work with fellow Committee members to hold the Labour government to account. Having previously worked for a healthcare charity, Joe says he will draw upon his career experience to push for vital reforms in social care, but also for GP practices, dentistry and hospital services.
Greater support for family carers and better mental health services are among his priorities.
On his appointment to the committee, Joe has said:
“I am honoured that my fellow MPs have elected me to serve on the Health and Social Care Committee. I will use this platform to champion some of the issues that matter most to the people on the Isle of Wight.
“I am committed to working constructively with my colleagues on the Committee and the Secretary of State and ministers. However, I have been clear: the challenges in social care go beyond funding. We urgently need meaningful reform that ensures better allocation of existing resources. Community-based care, like those championed by the charity Embracing Age and local campaigner Sally Grylls, will empower more people to live independently at home, reducing avoidable hospital admissions.”
Victoria Atkins MP, Shadow Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, has said:
“I congratulate Joe on being elected to the Health and Social Care Select Committee in his first few months as an MP. His previous experience working for a national health charity will be valuable and I look forward to working with him.”
On hearing of Joe’s appointment, Iain Bennet, Director of Isle of Wight Care Partnership, said:
“I am already working with Joe to help reform and improve social care and his new position on the Select Committee will help local voices get heard. Some of the pressures felt nationally are more acute on the Island so our East Wight MP having a say on the Select Committee will be of considerable benefit.”
The first meeting of the Committee will take place next Wednesday (30th October).
I wonder if Joe will look into side effects from the vaccines.
Whenever Sir Christopher Chope and Andrew Bridgen use to
bring this matter up in the House, hardly any MPs were
present, they seemed to go Awol!.
I really hope that new MPs elected to Select Committees will take the opportunity to hold government to account and not simply use their position for party political grandstanding. This is a newgovernment and it needs to be held to account for how it delivers on its manifesto commitments not for how the previous government destroyed public services