Saturday’s Guardian had a front page story highlighting the stance taken by our MP, Tessa Jowell and others against the Labour Government health cuts. The piece pointed out that 13 Government ministers are campainging against their own Government’s cuts.

The local cut in question is the closure of the Maudsley Emergency Clinic which has now been confirmed .  Both Tessa Jowell and next door Southwark MP Harriet Harman have weighed in to save the hospital despite their status as Government ministers - in Tessa’s case sitting in the Cabinet.  The  arguments put forward by this influential pair have fallen on deaf years and the cuts are going ahead.

It use to be said that there are two types of MP. One type, epitomised by someone like Simon Hughes or on the government benches, Kate Hoey, is the independent-minded backbencher, free from the shackles of Government who will fight tirelessly for their constituents and make sure their voice is heard. The other, epitomised by Jowell is at the centre of the Government party,  they have less time for their constituency because of the ministerial job but we are told that the quiet influence at the heart of Government makes up for this.

 There are advantages to both types. But what of  the good folk of Dulwich and West Norwood who are represented by an MP who - famously - lives in North London, who pays visits to our area only rarely and who is now exposed as having a position of power which  apparently gives her no influence to achieve a positive outcome for her constituents.