The three Leicester Labour MPs, Jonathan Ashworth, Liz Kendall and Keith Vaz have tabled an Early Day Motion in support of Children’s Heart Services at Glenfield Hospital.

EDM 1910 Reads

That this House commends the NHS staff at the Congenital Heart Centre at Glenfield Hospital in Leicester for their skill, compassion and dedication in caring for patients and supporting parents; recognises the Centre’s excellent track record of delivering high quality, safe and effective care; notes that Option A of the Government’s Safe and Sustainable review of children’s congenital heart surgery is the best option for ensuring the quality, accessibility and affordability of children’s heart surgery not only in the East Midlands but across the country; further notes that keeping children’s heart surgery in Leicester would also mean Glenfield retains it extra-corporeal membrane oxygenation service, for which it is the leading national centre; and therefore calls on the Government to support Option A and maintain the congenital heart centre at Glenfield Hospital.

There are public meetings on Thu 16th June at the Walkers Stadium at 3pm and 6pm. Please read the Leicester Mercury article for more information and how to submit a response to the public consultation by 1st July 2011.

The East Midlands Regional Conference 2011 will be held on Saturday 9th July 2011 at the NSPCC National Training Centre, 3 Gilmour Close, Beaumont Leys, Leicester, LE4 1EZ. Registration is at 9.30am for a 10.00am start.

The Regional Conference is an important event in the East Midlands  calendar and will also be our first conference since the election of Ed Miliband as our new party leader.

We have ensured that there is something for everyone at this year’s conference including keynote speeches, Q&A sessions and training sessions.

The conference is open to all East Midlands Labour Party members to attend as visitors and there is no limit on the number of visitors that can attend from your CLP or organisation. Visitor passes are £35. Members who would like to come to the conference as visitors should contact the East Midlands Regional Office for an application form on 0115 943 1777 or email Vicky Street at vicky_street@new.labour.org.uk.

At yesterday’s full council meeting, newly elected councillor for the Beaumont Leys Ward, Sundip Meghani, made his maiden speech attacking the tory led government in making huge cuts in police numbers and also making swingeing cuts in legal aid. Cllr Meghani is a trained lawyer and has been practising in criminal fraud cases as well as having been a volunteer custody visitor for Leicestershire Police for a number of years. Cllr Meghani was recently appointed to the Leicestershire Police Authority.

Read Cllr Meghani’s full speech on his blog.