Mayor and MP clash over Watford General Hospital rebuild

At the end of July, chancellor Rachel Reeves said there will be a "complete review" of the 40 New Hospitals scheme before a realistic timeframe is confirmed because, Labour claim, the projects had been promised "without anywhere close to the funding required to deliver them".

In a video shared yesterday (August 14), Watford mayor Peter Taylor described the announcement as “really disappointing news” and launched a campaign for “a new hospital, not another review”.

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The petition states: “We call on Watford's MP to vote against any budget which does not include full funding for a new hospital in the town.”

“We’ve launched this petition as it is really important that the new MP for Watford makes a stand on this,” the mayor said.

“Before the election, Labour politicians promised us that they would deliver us a new hospital in the town.

“Weeks later they are starting a review into the project. The MP for Watford must stand up for patients and staff.

“This long overdue redevelopment will benefit everyone in southwest Herts”.

Mr Taylor added: “We want him to vote against any motion or budget that doesn’t guarantee that we finally get on with building new hospital facilities in Watford.”

He told the Watford Observer that he had launched the petition to make sure Mr Turmaine “knows the strength of feeling on this”.

Responding to the campaign, Watford MP Matt Turmaine said: “Everyone wants to see the new hospital in Watford, nobody more than me.

Watford MP Matt Turmaine. (Image: Watford Labour)

“If the Conservatives and Liberal Democrats hadn’t cancelled the last Labour government’s plans to rebuild it, we would have a new hospital by now.

“Meanwhile, my email inbox is filling up with people complaining about the Liberal Democrat-run council cancelling weekly recycling collections.

“The mayor needs to concentrate on the job he is paid to do and do it better, rather than grandstanding on matters he has no influence over whatsoever."

The MP was referring to Watford Borough Council’s decision to move to fortnightly blue-lidded bin collections from October 21.

Labour councillors opposed the switch, which they claimed was being pushed through without consulting residents. Liberal Democrats highlighted the money it will save amid falling council funding, the fact that seven of the top 10 councils for recycling performance collected once every two weeks, and improved efficiency from collected bins being fuller.

Watford mayor Peter Taylor. (Image: Watford Liberal Democrats)