PATRICIA HEWITT

'Patricia Hope Hewitt' (born 2 December 1948) is a British politician. She is the Labour Member of Parliament (MP) for Leicester West and the former Secretary of State for Health.

Contents

Background

Route to Parliament

Parliamentary career

Secretary of State for Health

Sex Discrimination

Confrontation, controversy and eventual downfall

References

Publications

External links

Background

Born in Canberra, Australia, she is the daughter of Sir Lenox Hewitt, a leading civil servant in the Australian Prime Minister's Office and later chairman of Qantas. She was educated at the Canberra Girls' Grammar School, and the Australian National University. She went on to study at both Newnham College, Cambridge and Nuffield College, Oxford where she was awarded two master's degrees. She speaks French and is a keen gardener.
Initially a Conservative - her first husband was the son of a Conservative MP - she moved to the left, becoming a committed equality activist and feminist. In 1981 she married William (Bill) Birtles, a lawyer; they now have a son and a daughter^[1]. In 1971 she became Age Concern's Press and Public Relations Officer, before joining the UK's National Council for Civil Liberties (now Liberty) initially as a women's rights officer in 1973, and for nine years from 1974 as the General Secretary. She endured long-term surveillance by MI5 because of this, branded a "Communist sympathiser" by MI5 because of her relationship with Birtles in the 1970's.^[2]. In 1990 the Council of Europe ruled that this surveillance had breached the European Convention of Human Rights^[3]. She was a member of the advisory panel of the ''New Statesman'' magazine for ten years from 1980, and is a former school governor at the Kentish Town Primary School.
In 2003 she was cleared of vote-rigging during the local council elections^[4].
In April 2007 Hewitt said she tried smoking cannabis once when a student, but did not enjoy the experience. She was quoted as saying “It didn't do anything for me and I never tried it again. I have not used any other illegal drug,”^[5].

Route to Parliament

Hewitt joined the Labour Party in the 1970s, and was initially a follower of Tony Benn; she publicly condemned those left-wing MPs who abstained in the deputy leadership election of 1981, giving Denis Healey a narrow victory. She was selected as the Labour candidate in Leicester East constituency at the 1983 General Election following the defection of the sitting Labour MP Tom Bradley to the Social Democratic Party. Bradley stood for the SDP at the election, but it was the Conservative candidate Peter Bruinvels who beat Hewitt into second place by just 933 votes.
Following her defeat in Leicester, she became press secretary to the Leader of the Opposition Neil Kinnock. (She had sent a letter to Kinnock lobbying for the role, she sent an identical letter to Kinnock's opponent in the Labour leadership election, Roy Hattersley ^[6]). In this role she was a key player in the first stages of the modernisation of the Labour Party, and along with Lord Hollick, helped set up the Institute for Public Policy Research and was its deputy director 1989-1994. She became head of research with Andersen Consulting 1994-1997.
Hewitt was elected to the House of Commons as the first female MP for Leicester West at the 1997 General Election following the retirement of the veteran Labour MP Greville Janner. She was elected with a majority of 12,864 and has remained the MP there since. She made her maiden speech on July 3, 1997^[7]. Patricia Hewitt's seat of Leicester West is considered a safe Labour Seat with a majority of 9,070 votes in the 2005 General Election.

Parliamentary career

In Parliament she served for a year as a member of the social security select committee from 1997 before becoming a member of the government of Tony Blair in his first reshuffle in 1998 as the Economic Secretary to the Treasury. She was promoted in 1999 to become a Minister of State for Small Business and E-Commerce at the Department for Trade and Industry.
She joined the Blair Cabinet for the first time following the 2001 General Election as the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry and Minister for Women and Equality. She spent four years in this post and was seen as a fairly effective Trade and Industry Secretary, possibly the reason for her promotion to Health Secretary in May 2005.
Hewitt was known as a reliable Blairite within the cabinet. However, she notably once broke ranks whilst live on the BBC's Question Time, expressing her concern about government plans to introduce ID cards^[8]. She ruled herself out of the Deputy Leadership of the Labour Party, declaring her support for Harriet Harman, who was the successful candidate.

Secretary of State for Health

She became a member of the Privy Council in 2001 and was appointed Secretary of State for Health following the 2005 General Election. She was tipped for Work and Pensions before this. She had a turbulent two years in office, with several issues arising, such as controversy over the Medical Training Application Service computer system. However, she also achieved several things during her time in office, including persuading MPs to vote for a complete smoking ban in public places in England. On 27 June 2007 it was announced that Hewitt would not be Health Secretary in Gordon Brown's new cabinet, an announcement which had been widely expected.^[9]
As Health Secretary, Hewitt lobbied hard for a complete ban on smoking in public places, which has now been passed and came into force on 1 July 2007. Her predecessor, John Reid had been in favour of limiting the Government's proposed smoking ban as much as possible, and in Labour's 2005 election manifesto had introduced only a limited pledge, proposing to only ban smoking in places where food was served. Even though he had been moved to Secretary of State for Defence, Reid was the main opponent of her proposals, and a leading figure in the decision of the Cabinet to grant an exemption for private clubs and pubs that did not serve food ^[10]. However, the exemption in the Cabinet proposals did not find favour with MPs and the Government gave them a free vote on the issue. Patricia Hewitt voted with the rebels to defeat the Cabinet's partial ban, which was replaced by the outright ban which she had always wanted ^[11].
In April 2006, Patricia Hewitt made a speech in which she said the NHS had had "its best year ever", citing a decrease in waiting times for hospital treatment. However, this claim came at a time when thousands of jobs were being cut across the country as a number of NHS trusts attempted to cope with budget deficits. This comment did not go down well therefore, and at the Royal College of Nursing 2006 Congress in Bournemouth, Hewitt was heckled and booed by health workers. Delegates at the conference called for job cuts and bed closures, part of planned NHS reforms aimed at improving the effectiveness of the service, to be halted, predicting that the number of posts lost could reach 13,000, and said a work to rule was possible^[12]. BMA chairman Mr. James Johnson claimed 2006 was actually one of the worst years on record and that "2006 has been full of bleak moments for the NHS - job losses, training budgets slashed, trusts delaying operations in order to save money and hospital closures announced at the same time as new PFI developments. Added to this the government’s fixation with introducing the private sector into primary care which risks destabilising the well-respected UK system of general practice. "^[13]

Sex Discrimination

Hewitt was found guilty of sexual discrimination in September 2005 when she employed a female applicant for a government position ahead of a significantly stronger male candidate. The High Court ruled that Malcolm Hanney, a respected international banker and "much the strongest candidate" had lost out thanks to discrimination by Hewitt in favour of a lesser candidate ranked third in line for the job.
Such discrimination is especially of note given that Hewitt is a well know feminist and was previously in charge of sex discrimination laws as minister for women and equality, and is well know for complain when she feels when women are discriminated against. For example she complained in 2002 over sexist advertising for the Motor Show in Birmingham^[14].
As a result of the case Mr Hanney was awarded £17,967.17 in compensation and the High Court ruled that the failure to appoint him was "in breach of the code of practice for ministerial appointments to public bodies" and "was unlawful sex discrimination" [1].

Confrontation, controversy and eventual downfall

In January 2007, Patricia Hewitt criticised the pay of general practitioners (GPs) which had increased to an average of £106,000 per annum as a result of the contract the government implemented in 2004. Her department claimed that GPs had unfairly taken money out of their practices, when the new contract was actually intended to increase investment in practices^[15], although statements from Lord Warner in 2004 appear to contradict this claim. He said that "The better services GPs provide, the more pay they will receive, as rewards will be directly linked with patients' experiences." ^[16].
On 17 March 2007 over 12,000 doctors went to London to take part in a march objecting to the 'Medical Training Application Service' (MTAS), a job application system for junior doctors, currently under investigation by the Department of Health, and 'Modernising Medical Careers' ^[17]. Joining the march, the Conservative Leader of the Opposition David Cameron claimed that there were people in parliament who had described Hewitt as the "worst Health Secretary in the history of the NHS" ^[18] On 12 April 2007, the newspaper ''Hospital Doctor'' published a poll that reported Patricia Hewitt as the "Worst Ever" Health Secretary, with only 3% citing her as the best Health Secretary ^[19].
On 23 May 2007 Hewitt comfortably survived a vote of no confidence in the House of Commons led by the Conservatives, winning by 63 votes. A large number of her cabinet colleagues joined her on the front bench to express solidarity. Despite this, pressure continued to mount on her to resign as Health Secretary.^[20]
On 3 April 2007 Patricia Hewitt apologised on the Today programme of BBC Radio 4 saying that the application scheme had caused terrible anxiety for junior doctors. The change offered by the government to the scheme was not accepted by the BMA^[21] however, and she was accused of failing to express genuine regret by Andrew Lansley, the Conservative Shadow Minister for Health^[22]. Hewitt also made another apology on 1 May 2007 in the House of Commons ^[23] after the suspension of the MTAS website due to security breaches which she called "utterly deplorable". ^[24].
Front line health workers also lobbied against Hewitt, sending her petitions opposing cuts to the NHS and privatisation plans which the Department of Health wished to follow up^[25] A survey from October 2006 showed only 37% of workers from the Department of Health were confident in the leadership provided by Hewitt, compared to 57% across Whitehall.^[26]
Despite constant criticism, Hewitt managed to balance the books of the NHS, which had previously been in huge debt. After having vowed to resign should the NHS complete another year with debts^[27], Hewitt ensured that the Health Service ended 2006/2007 with a £510 million surplus^[28]. However to do this she was forced to cut 17,000 jobs, cut public health spending, although that was previously at a high level, and reduce study budgets for NHS staff. ^[29] As of June 2007, one in five NHS hospital trusts are still in debt. ^[30]
On 27 June 2007, with the appointment of Gordon Brown as Prime Minister, she announced her retirement from frontline politics, citing 'personal reasons' possibly connected to her elderly parents in Australia. It was already expected that Hewitt would be moved from the position of Health Secretary, with Brown announcing the NHS to be one of his main priorities, although it had been thought that she would possibly keep a position in the cabinet.^[31] She was replaced as Health Secretary by Alan Johnson, who moved from the Department of Education and Skills.

References

1. Hewitt Profile
2. Hewitt branded "Communist sympathiser"
3. Surveillance of Hewitt breached Human Rights
4. Minister cleared of vote rigging BBC News | July 1, 2003
5. Hewitt admits using cannabis
6. Another foot up the greasy pole, Roy Hattersley, The Guardian
7. Hewitt's maiden speech Hansard | July 3, 1997
8. Hewitt reveals split over ID cards Gareth Morgan, Computing | September 26, 2003
9. Hewitt leaves cabinet health job BBC News Online
10. Cabinet agrees England smoking ban BBC News | October 25, 2005
11. Campaigners welcome smoking ban BBC News | February 15, 2006
12. NHS Cash Crisis The Guardian | April 24, 2006
13. 2006: the best of years, the worst of years? 2006: the best of years, the worst of years?, BMA December 2006
14. Motor Show advert 'pathetic and sexist' BBC News | October 28, 2002
15. GP Pay could be capped The Guardian January 19, 2007
16. New GP Contract Combines Better Patient Care And Good Value For Money Medical News Today
17. ITV news Junior doctors in jobs protests
18. David Cameron speech at doctors march 17 March 2007 David Cameron speech at doctors March 17 March 2007 (utube)
19. Poll names Hewitt as 'Worst ever Health Secretary'
20. Hewitt survives no confidence vote
21. BBC Article on Ms Hewitt apology
22. Channel 4 News report - MTAS apology
23. Hewitt apologises in House of Commons
24. Security breaches in MTAS website
25. Health workers meet Hewitt.
26. Survey shows lack of confidence in Hewitt
27. Hewitt will resign if NHS continues in debt
28. Patricia Hewitt ProfileGuardian Online
29. BBC News, 6 June, 2007
30. BBC News, 6 June, 2007
31. Hewitt resigns

Publications

★ ''Your Rights'' by Patricia Hewitt, 1973, Age Concern Books, Age Concern England, ISBN 0-904502-08-2

★ ''Danger Women at Work: Conference Report'' Edited by Patricia Hewitt, National Council for Civil Liberties, ISBN 0-901108-30-8

★ ''Equality for Women: Comments on Labour's Proposals for an Anti-Discrimination Law'', Edited by Patricia Hewitt, National Council for Civil Liberties, ISBN 0-901108-33-2

★ ''Step-by-Step Guide to Rights for Women'' by Patricia Hewitt, 1975, National Council for Civil Liberties, ISBN 0-901108-49-9

★ ''Your Rights'' by Patriica Hewitt, 1976, Age Concern Books, Age Concern England, ISBN 0-904502-62-7

★ 'Your Rights: For Pensioners'' by Patricia Hewitt, 1976, Age Concern Books, Age Concern England, ISBN 0-904502-66-X

★ ''Civil Liberties'' by Patricia Hewitt, 1977

★ ''The Privacy Report'' by Patricia Hewitt, 1977

★ ''Privacy: The Information Gatherers" by Patricia Hewitt, 1978, National Council for Civil Liberties, ISBN 0-901108-68-5

★ ''Your Rights at Work'' by Patricia Hewitt, 1978, National Council for Civil Liberties, ISBN 0-901108-71-5

★ ''Computers, Records and the Right to Privacy'' by Patricia Hewitt, 1979, Input Two-Nine, ISBN 0-905897-27-7

★ ''Income Tax and Sex Discrimination: Practical Guide'' by Patricia Hewitt, 1979, Civil Liberties Trust, ISBN 0-901108-84-7

★ ''Your Rights at Work'' by Patricia Hewitt, 1980, National Council for Civil Liberties, ISBN 0-901108-88-X

★ ''Prevention of Terrorism Act: The Case for Repeal'' by Catherine Scorer and Patricia Hewitt, 1981, National Council for Civil Liberties, ISBN 0-901108-94-4

★ ''The Abuse of Power: Civil Liberties in the United Kingdom'' by Patricia Hewitt, 1981, Blackwell Publishers, ISBN 0-85520-380-3

★ ''A Fair Cop: Reforming the Police Complaints Procedure'' by Patricia Hewitt, 1982, Civil Liberties Trust, ISBN 0-946088-01-2

★ ''Race Relations: A Practical Guide to the Law on Race Discrimination'' by Paul Gordon, John Wright, Patricia Hewitt, 1982, Civil Liberties Trust, ISBN 0-946088-02-0

★ ''Your Rights: For Pensioners'' by Patricia Hewitt, 1982, Age Concern England, ISBN 0-86242-014-8

★ ''Your Rights at Work'' by Patricia Hewitt, 1983, National Council for Civil Liberties, ISBN 0-946088-06-3

★ ''Your Rights: For Pensioners'' by Patricia Hewitt, 1984, Age Concern England, ISBN 0-86242-029-6

★ ''The New Prevention of Terrorism Act: The Case for Repeal'' by Catherine Scorer, Sarah Spencer, Patricia Hewitt, 1985, Civil Liberties Trust, ISBN 0-946088-13-6

★ ''Your Rights: For Pensioners'' by Patricia Hewitt, 1986, Age Concern England, ISBN 0-86242-047-4

★ ''A Cleaner, Faster London: Road Pricing, Transport Policy and the Environment'' by Patricia Hewitt, 1989, Institute for Public Policy Research, ISBN 1-872452-00-0

★ ''Women's Votes: The Key to Winning'' Edited by Patricia Hewitt and Deborah Mattinson, 1989, Fabian Society, ISBN 0-7163-1353-7

★ ''Your Rights: A Guide to Money Benefits for Retired People'' by Patricia Hewitt, 1989, Age Concern England, ISBN 0-86242-080-6

★ ''The Family Way: A New Approach to Policy-Making'' by Anna Coote, Harriet Harman, Patricia Hewitt, 1990, Institute for Public Policy Research, ISBN 1-872452-15-9

★ ''Your Second Baby'' by Patricia Hewitt and Wendy Rose-Neil, 1990, HarperCollins, ISBN 0-04-440608-8

★ ''Next Left: An Agenda for the 1990s'' by Tessa Blackstone, James Cornford, David Miliband and Patricia Hewitt, 1992, Institute for Public Policy Research, ISBN 1-872452-45-0

★ ''About Time: Revolution in Work and Family Life'' by Patricia Hewitt, 1993, Rivers Oram Press, ISBN 1-85489-040-9

★ ''Social Justice, Children and Families'' by Patricia Hewitt and Penelope Leach, 1993, Institute for Public Policy Research, ISBN 1-872452-76-0

★ ''A British Bill of Rights'' by Anthony Lester, Patricia Hewitt et al, 1996, Institute for Public Policy Research, ISBN 1-86030-044-8

★ ''The Politics of Attachment: Towards a Secure Society" by Sebastian Kraemer, preface by Patricia Hewitt, 1996, Free Association Books Ltd, ISBN 1-85343-344-6

★ ''Defence for the 21st Century: Towards a Post Cold-War Force Structure'' by Malcolm Chalmer, foreword by Patricia Hewitt, 1997, Fabian Society, ISBN 0-7163-3040-7

★ ''Information Age Government: Delivering the Blair Revolution'' by Liam Byrne, foreword by Patricia Hewitt, 1997, Fabian Society, ISBN 0-7163-0582-8

★ ''Pebbles in the Sand'' by Patricia Hewitt, 1998, Dorrance Publishing Co, ISBN 0-8059-4272-6

★ ''Winning for Women" by Harriet Harman and Deborah Mattinson, foreword by Patricia Hewitt, 2000, Fabian Society, ISBN 0-7163-0596-8

★ ''Unfinished Business: The New Agenda for the Workplace'' by Patricia Hewitt, 2004, Institute for Public Policy Research, ISBN 1-86030-259-9

★ ''The Future of the NHS'' (contributed a chapter) edited by Dr Michelle Tempest, xpl Publishing, ISBN 1-85811-369-5

External links

★ Patricia Hewitt official site

★ 10 Downing Street - Patricia Hewitt official biography

★ Guardian Unlimited Politics - Ask Aristotle: Patricia Hewitt MP

★ TheyWorkForYou.com - Patricia Hewitt MP

★ Hewitt guilty of sex bias

★ Television footage of Hewitt being attacked by a junior doctor over MTAS