8:00am Thursday 29th July 2010
By James Calnan
BOB Russell supporters unhappy with the Tory-Lib Dem coalition government should switch to Labour, Shadow Health secretary Andy Burnham has urged.
Mr Burnham made the appeal on a visit to Colchester, where he was campaigning in his bid to become the next Labour leader.
The front-bencher said he thought many of the 22,000 people who voted for Lib Dem Mr Russell would now be unhappy with the coalition government.
He added: “The question is how many people feel happy with the Government they now have.
“I would argue for many of those Lib Dem supporters, who would probably have had more in common with many of Labour’s policies, they would be feeling pretty unhappy now.
“When people see the real effects of these policies and decisions to cut council services and the NHS, I think things will look very different.”
Mr Burnham, who is challenging David and Ed Miliband, Ed Balls and Diane Abbott, met doctors, nurses and patients at North Colchester Healthcare Centre and the neighbouring Colchester Primary Care Centre, both in Turner Road.
He then went to Colchester High Street to see the town’s SOS Bus in action, before speaking to more than 50 Labour activists from Essex and Suffolk at Greenstead Community Centre.
The visit was organised by former Clacton and Harwich MP Ivan Henderson, who is serving as Mr Burnham’s campaign director in the east.
Mr Burnham said he was impressed by what he had seen at the centre, which was one of 100 across the UK funded by the Labour government.
He added: “It’s a wonderful service, serving the whole community.
“It makes me proud it was a Labour government which put in the investment to make it happen.”
Jordan Newell, Colchester Labour Party chairman, said: “I’m delighted Andy spared the time as part of his leadership campaign to come to Colchester.”
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