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Friends
I hope this finds you well and safe - and thank you once again to everyone helping our region battle through this terrible crisis.
Tragically, last week the UK became the country with the highest Covid fatality rate in the world.
And that’s why here in our region we deserve something better than the muddled Tory Mayor we’ve got.
Most of us reacted in utter disbelief as we watched the Prime Minister’s chief advisor, Dominic Cummings, openly flout the Lockdown rules - and then tell us he had no regrets.
Earlier this week our Tory Mayor for the West Midlands was forced to admit that Dominic Cummings had broken the spirit of the law - but then he refused to call for his resignation! Truly, it is one law for some, and another for the rest of us.
But that’s not all. Last week, we also caught the Tory Mayor playing fast and loose with the R-rate; this crucial ‘reinfection rate’ tells us whether the Covid infection is expanding or retreating. The Tory mayor used an article in ConservativeHome (where else?) to declare the R rate had fallen to 0.68 and he used this to justify his support for Boris Johnson’s unlock plans.
But guess what?
The Mayor was using the figures for the whole of the East and West Midlands put together. In fact, public health directors tell us the 'r-rate’ in our region is ‘perilously close’ to 1. And of course the higher fatality rate in BAME communities is still unexplained. Parents are furious and they've written to demand the Tory mayor corrects the record.
But that’s not all.
I am sorry to report that our Tory Mayor has rejected the calls of every Labour MP in the region and many of our unions to deliver free travel for the key workers who are helping keep our region safe and on the move.
So there you have it: a Tory Mayor playing fast and loose with crucial figures, who won’t support our key workers - but has decided instead to stand with Dominic Cummings. It's like he's not on the side of our region.
That’s why we need a Labour Mayor - to help our region deliver a plan to save lives and save livelihoods.
Can you help us? A crucial part of our work is to understand why the fatality rate from Covid is so much higher in our BAME communities. If you’d like to share evidence and testimony, please just email [email protected]
Finally, here’s the link to our video on Facebook about the sheer double standards of this terrible Government:
Very best - and stay safe
Liam
Rt Hon Liam Byrne MP
P.S. I thought also might like the links to our Mayor’s extraordinary interview: it’s been published by the Birmingham Labour Party here: https://www.facebook.com/watch/?v=2989299937829844 and Dudley Labour Group here: https://www.facebook.com/watch/?v=2507548472827821- Please do share!
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