Andrew Thompson

Who am I and what do I believe?
Dr Andy Thompson
Growing up as one of Thatchers Children I found my natural home in Labour Party activism as a reaction to the Falklands War, the Miner’s Strike, mass unemployment and the dismantling of municipal socialism. The Poll Tax campaign was a fantastic success for militancy but proved to be the swansong for the British Left with the electoral failure of the Labour Party ushering in a move to the right not just in the party but in the working class generally. The shift to the right enabled Tony Blair to become prime minister but the improvements that were gained were at the expense of huge losses of future revenue in the form of tax cuts, PFI repayments, increased housing costs and financial deregulation. Thus were the foundations of the specific British experience following the 2008 crash laid.
The foreign policy disasters in support of US imperialism in the middle east and Afghanistan have led a whole layer of our muslim youth to become prone to radicalisation here at home, and the consequent waves of asylum seekers combined with massive reductions in housing and services have led to an increase in support for the politics of hate of the far right.
Faced with such a scenario, we need to build cohesion in our society. We need to spend and plan to foster links between communities, we need to protect the services to the most vulnerable most of all the NHS. We need to ensure that we are not a minimum wage but a living wage economy both for directly employed but also for contracted and commissioned services. We need to stop the cuts and devolving of responsibility tied up in the STP process already opposed by both Labour and Tory councils while developing our own model of a non market locally planned and nationally funded National Health and Social Care Service.
We need to encourage the participation of our communities in planning, not throwing minimal engagement as a sop to local democracy.
Finally we need to link up with other Socialist Societies and Trade Unions to point out where the blame for the continuing crisis lies and to campaign for a reversal of the failed policies of austerity and the return of a socialist labour government.
In addition, as a disabled person, I am keen to raise the profile of Disabled people within political life, advocating on behalf of the disabled and helping to ensure that barriers to normal life are removed within the party and at all levels to allow as full a participation in all areas of our society by those with impairments.

What have I done?

  • Left school with three A levels to read medicine at Birmingham after a year out spent mostly in voluntary work in South India.
  • Graduated in 1989 after 5 years actively involved in Student and local politics.
  • 20 years as GP in Handsworth during which time I also worked in Substance Misuse clinics, set up landmark service for Zero Tolerance patients for Birmingham and Solihull, worked as a police surgeon, worked in out of hours services, was appointed assistant deputy then deputy coroner of the Black Country, and did a Graduate Diploma of Law at the College of Law in my spare time.
  • Coming out of mainstream General Practice in 2013 I spent the last 3 years before my stroke in May 2016 working part time in Birmingham’s Drug Services, part time as Clinical Lead of the Homeless Patient Pathway at City and Sandwell Hospitals, still undertaking coronial duties and working in out of hours GP services.
  • I am formally on medical suspension from my job in the Drug Service to which I intend to return and unpaid leave from the coronial post.
  • I am separated with two young children and three adult children.

Community Activities:

  • 1986-7 Bournville Active in Campaign Against Sale of Estates
  • ?1988 – ? 1990 School Governor Cotteridge J&I
  •  Active in Anti Poll Tax Unions
  •  1990 Worked with Unions whilst a junior doctor to establish Dudley NHS Defence Campaign
  •  1992-1993 worked with local antifundholding GPs to develop locality commissioning
  •  ?1995-1996 member of Ladywood Primary Care Group Board
  •  ? 1997 School Governor Welford School, Handsworth
  •  1997 – 2001 Actively involved in running North Birmingham Mental Health Carers Support Group
  •  2016 commenced attending Aston housing liaison board ; block rep on Sheltered housing liaison board ; rep on City housing liaison board .
  •  November – December 2016 Raised money for Sandwell Stroke Unit and helped initiate plans for a Charity to raise money for ‘cinderella services’.

Labour and Trade Union:

  • 1985-89 Campaigned to recruit medical students and Junior Doctors to the Medical Practitioners Union then part of ASTMS now Unite.
  • 1/1/13 – 1/3/15 Helped form new Branch for members of Unite in BSMHFT; Branch Treasurer; Workplace Rep
  •  March 2015 – December 2015 Workplace Rep at new employer post TUPE. Along with one other Rep recruited 3 more Workplace Reps; Established regular meetings between employer and reps; Assisted in recruitment of approximately 60 new members; Ran Stress at Work campaign; mobilised other reps from around the country for National Pay Campaign.
  •  March – May 2016 led successful Campaign to reinstate Alison Morris – H&S Rep at CGL later shortlisted for Regional TUC Awards
  •  June 2015 to date – Member of Unite Birmingham Area Activists Committee; Member of Unite Regional Committee; member of RISC and member of NISC.
  •  November 2015 Unite National Sectoral Conference Delegate.
  •  Jan 2016 – June 2016 – helped establish WM/7007 CGL West Midlands Branch
  •  June 2016 – date Chair WM/7007 CGL West Midlands Branch; Chair RISC
  •  December 2016 – date Unite delegate to Ladywood CLP.
  • Member of SHA and Disability Labour.
  • March 2017 – date: member of SHA Central Council.