27.11.09:  SW Surrey Labour PPC Richard Mollet has written to the Farnham Herald about the legislative programme outlined in this week's Queen's Speech, as below.

Sir

This week’s Queen’s Speech gave a clear reminder of what the Labour Party is in office to do.  Parliament will now consider a series of measures which ensure that decent public services continue to be available to everyone, not just the privileged few.

These proposals have been derided by our political opponents.  They have described them as “playing politics”.

But the 400,000 people who stand to gain from the introduction of free personal care under a National Care Service will surely take a more serious view of the legislation.  So too will parents of those children who fall behind and who now stand to benefit from the pledge to extend one-to-one tuition.

What the week in politics really shows is that only the Labour Party retains an optimistic vision for our country’s future.  Society is not broken.  Governments can be and are a force for good in securing prosperity, such as through rescuing the failing banking system, or investing in public services.

As the General Election approaches I would urge all readers who believe that good quality healthcare, housing, education, should be open to everyone in society, to compare Labour’s ambitions with the views of those in other parties, who do not think that legislating for these things is what politics should be about.