News Date: Thursday 9th November 2006
Ho! Ho! Ho! Cross MPs dress up as Father Christmas
Two West Sussex MPs have dressed up as Father Christmas (photo attached!) to launch a campaign to encourage local residents to send Patricia Hewitt a Christmas card urging her to save local hospitals under threat of closure.
East Worthing and Shoreham MP Tim Loughton and West Worthing MP Peter Bottomley have worked with local artist Mike Payne to develop Christmas cards featuring the KWASH (Keep Worthing and Southlands Hospital) campaign logo Nurse Sunshine and are urging that their constituents buy a pack of six KWASH Christmas cards and send one of them to the Secretary of State for Health.
Tim Loughton MP commented:
"This may look like Ho! Ho! Ho! but in reality it is Woe! Woe! Woe! for our hospitals. Both of the hospitals my constituents use are under the threat of closure or downgrading. These Christmas cards are an opportunity for the local community to take their concerns to the top and urge the Secretary of State for Health to take action to save our health services."
Peter Bottomley commented:
"Tim and I will also be sending out KWASH Christmas cards. We are looking forward to delivering a sack full of cards to Patricia Hewitt from our constituents who are hoping for a happy Christmas and New Year for our local hospitals. "
ENDS
Notes to Editor:
1) The images attached i) Tim and Peter dressed as Father Christmas with KWASH Christmas cards and ii) an image from the front cover of one of the three the KWASH Christmas cards.
2) The proceeds raised by the sale of the Christmas cards will go towards the KWASH campaign. For more information about KWASH please visit www.kwash.org.uk or contact Ruth Farrer-Langton in Tim Loughton's office on 020 7219 1622.
