It wasn’t bad, was it!

I am, of course, referring to the Tall Ships event from the past couple of days. As someone who did not organise it, I can be as objective as I can and pay a full tribute to all those at Hartlepool Borough Council and elsewhere who put on such a spectacular event. The organisers truly did the town proud, and it is hard to think of a better four days. In my mind, the Tall Ships exceeded all expectations and showed what Hartlepool as a town can achieve. Hartlepool may be a small town, but it has big ambitions, and in the past few days that was demonstrated time and time again. We as a town can do this again, and bring more kudos and – let’s be honest, much needed money – to Hartlepool.

It’s estimated that over a million people flocked to the Tall Ships over the course of the four days. Many came to Hartlepool for the first time, and in the many warm and friendly conversations I have had with strangers in the past week, I find it difficult to think of one which had a bad word to say about the town. All were incredibly generous in their praise for Hartlepool: they came to see the spectacular Tall Ships, but they left enthusing about the warmth and generosity of Hartlepudlians. Time and time again people were saying to me: everybody from Hartlepool smiles and talks to you. The reputation of the town has increased in leaps and bounds over the past week – people are going to the far corners of the globe talking up Hartlepool – and frankly, it’s not about the ships we had in dock, it’s about the friendliness of the people. You should all be very proud of yourselves!

If only a small proportion of the million visitors come back to the town, that could provide an enduring legacy for Hartlepool that could reach into the tens of millions of pounds each year. Not only that: business was done as part of the Tall Ships event. On the last day, I attended a seminar hosted by PD Ports that invited businessmen and women who were seeing the Tall Ships to see how we can bring more well paid manufacturing jobs and businesses to Hartlepool on the back of renewable energy. There was a buzz about the week which meant that these business people were impressed by the facilities and the scale of Hartlepool’s ambition, and I believe jobs will come as a result.

What pleased me as I was walking around was the number of Hartlepool families enjoying the Tall Ships. I had worried before the event that this might be seen as something for outsiders and that because of traffic chaos or whatever Hartlepool people wouldn’t join in. Nothing could have been further from the truth: it was Hartlepool’s party, and I think from my experience at the event that Hartlepudlians had a great time and were so proud that it was their town that was hosting this spectacular.

As well as paying tribute to the Council for organising it, I also want to thank the Police. To have a million people in four days, and to have alcohol served, must turn most police officers’ hair white. But the event passed with only a handful of incidents, which is a remarkable achievement. This was because I think most people wanted just to have a good time and not cause trouble, but it was also because of the way the event was policed: well staffed, but never too overt.

Praise must also go to the many volunteers who gave up their time to assist with a variety of tasks to help the event run smoothly. Organisations such as the RNLI are so often taken for granted in ensuring our seas are safe and are funded entirely through charitable contributions and the expertise and commitment of volunteers. I applaud the hard work of so many unsung heroes who regularly make a vital contribution to our town, and have once again ‘done their bit’ to make the event a great success.


The event wasn’t perfect. I know from painful experience, even as someone who can walk for England, that wandering from one end of the event to the other was hard work and a long distance and played havoc with blisters on your feet. More importantly, I know that people were concerned about wheelchair access across the rocky ground. But I also know that Council staff were aware of this and were on hand to help people as much as possible. I hope it didn’t detract from people’s enjoyment, and it is a lesson that will be learned for future events.

But I want to finish on a high, just like the spectacular Tall Ships event did. For a small town to host this world class event was a tall order, if you forgive the pun. But it was done, and done in such a spectacular and successful style. I am incredibly proud of Hartlepool and all it stands for, and most people in the town are too. This week, I think the world now sees Hartlepool as we in the town all see it. For that, you should all be proud of what you put into the event.

You may have seen reports in the past few days that Accident & Emergency at our town’s hospital is to change. I think this is premature.

The announcement of this came out less than 24 hours after I had a debate in the House of Commons about the future of hospital services, and the Health Minister, Simon Burns, had offered assurances that Hartlepool hospital would not close.

The changes that are being proposed will move some of the services into the new One Life Hartlepool centre in Park Road. This is welcome, because it means a wider range of health services will be provided in the very centre of town. I think that this will mean that more people from Hartlepool will be seen in Hartlepool. Other services will be provided at the emergency assessment unit on the 4th floor of the University Hospital of Hartlepool. But further services will be provided at the University Hospital of North Tees.

The manner in which this announcement was allowed to filter out into the wider realm did not convey confidence, and will worry people. As a result of this, all sorts of rumours have started – portacabins being used to treat patients, for example – which makes it difficult to communicate what is really happening and adds to the sense of confusion and concern.

These changes are part of the Momentum programme, which aims to change health services to ensure that they are closer to the patient, and carried out within people’s communities. Again, I welcome this. But the Momentum programme culminates in the opening of a world class, state-of-the-art hospital in the Borough of Hartlepool in Wynyard to serve the various towns north of the Tees.

Things changed radically when the new Government decided that they would not fund the new hospital. Although it is considered by surgeons and other clinical staff to be something that is still required to help improve the chances of people recovering from surgery and other complex medical complaints, the fact of the matter remains that we have been plunged into a degree of uncertainty which I think requires a period of pause and reflection. I would have thought that if and when the new hospital is given the green light (and this remains subject to several risks, like the Department of Health refusing to allow the private funding model to go ahead) it seems sensible that Momentum should move ahead once again.

Accident & Emergency is such an important function of a hospital. I am no medical expert, but I am told that the related medical and surgical teams pull together to ensure a seamless service for the patient. My concern is that by withdrawing A & E from Hartlepool the acceleration of the closure of Hartlepool Hospital will occur, and that we would see centralisation of services at North Tees, which is completely unacceptable.

This week there was a two-hour meeting of the Council’s Health Scrutiny Forum, which Health bosses and I both attended. I think that the Forum, chaired by Cllr Stephen Akers-Belcher, had the same views as me, and have asked for a more formal consultation that gives people the opportunity to comment on these proposals. I think that that is appropriate.

Communication about this important matter of A&E needs to be much clearer. If someone in Hartlepool has an accident, they want to know what happens, and where they should go. But at a time when we do not know what is happening with the new hospital, this decision about A&E is premature.

Tuesday saw the last day of the House of Commons sitting. Parliament then ups sticks for the summer recess. It is slightly different this year, because Parliament is returning for two weeks in September before then going back into recess for a couple of weeks to take into account the three Party Conferences, and then returning properly in October.

No doubt you will have read in the media the “outrage” that the whole country has because these greedy, lazy MPs have so much time off. MPs are apparently on a beach somewhere for the whole of August, doing no work whatsoever. Nothing, I have to say, could be further from the truth, certainly as far as I am concerned.

I have always continued to work throughout the recess during my time as MP for our town. I will have two weeks holiday with my family, but the only beach you might see me on is Seaton Beach. It is a huge honour – the best privilege in the world – to be Member of Parliament for my own town. I take the duties of being a Member of Parliament extremely seriously, and Parliamentary duties are vital to that. I feel that I am paid my wages by the taxpayer to stand up for Hartlepool in Parliament, and that’s what I work hard to do. I ask questions to Ministers on behalf of constituents’ queries, and speak in debates. Last week, I spoke about the cancellation of Build Schools for the Future, which will have a significant and negative impact on Hartlepool schools. This week, I have tabled Amendments on the Academies Bill, which I think is a rushed and poorly thought out piece of legislation that could ruin the education progress of schools in Hartlepool, as well as initiating a debate in Parliament on Tuesday on the future of hospital services, which naturally focused on the future of our own hospital in Hartlepool.

However, I take my duties as a constituency MP extremely seriously and these continue throughout the summer recess. As I am not obliged to be in Westminster for four days of the week, as I am the remainder of the year, I have always seen the recess as a great opportunity to discuss matters of concern with residents’ groups across the town. We are in Hartlepool fortunate that we have a vibrant and passionate voluntary sector across the town, working to improve their community. This year they will be bracing themselves for the unprecedented onslaught of budget cuts which will be coming in the autumn, and I am keen to see how I can help and support them against these cuts. August is a time when I can speak to groups and meet them during the week in their regular meeting spots, as I don’t get regular opportunity to do that when I’m in Westminster. I hold weekly constituency surgeries on a Friday throughout the year when Parliament is sitting: however, thanks to the recess, I can do many more of these surgeries to help people.

I’m writing to community groups and residents’ associations this week, asking to be invited to their meetings in August and September so I can listen to the concerns. However, I’m using also my weekly column today to ask any community group in Hartlepool that if they would like me as their local MP to meet with them, I would be really pleased to do so.

Please get in touch on 01429 224403, or at wrighti@parliament.uk. You can also write to me at 23 South Road, Hartlepool, TS26 9HD.