Local Labour MP Andrew Smith resigns from cabinet
The work and pensions secretary, Andrew Smith, unexpectedly resigned last night, amid claims of a bitter power struggle between the Brown and Blair camps within the government.
Cllr Stuart Craft, leader of the IWCA group on Oxford City Council said, ‘I understand Andrew Smith has resigned to devote more time to his responsibilities in his constituency. I would say this
decision has been driven by the fact that having looked over his shoulder at the growing support for the IWCA in East Oxford, he realises that he will no longer be an MP after the next election if he continues
to ignore the concerns of working class people of the area.
‘Nationally the Labour Party has abandoned the working class, and this is true also of Labour in East Oxford.’
Under Mr Smith’s Labour government:
- The gap between rich and poor has climbed to levels not seen since the 1930’s;
- more council housing was sold off in its first three years of power than the Tories managed in seventeen years of government;
- there has been an ideologically driven attempt to privatise anything the conservatives managed to miss.
Commenting on Andrew Smith’s prospects for the future Cllr Craft said, ‘Smith’s government has presided over increasing levels of anti-social behaviour and continues to lose the war on drugs which is having a disastrous, debilitating effect on working class
communities across the country.
‘So I think that even given the extra time he now has to dedicate to his constituency Mr Smith will have his work cut out convincing working class people that he, or his party has
our interests at heart.’
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