Gedling MP says 'serious illness' is behind Parliament absence
Payne, who was elected in 2024, said: "This is incredibly frustrating for me. "I care deeply about representing our community and being present for important debates and decisions in Westminster. "Being unable to participate fully in this work is not something I take lightly, and it's difficult to be away at a time when so much is happening nationally." According to his record, the backbencher last voted in the House of Commons on 1 July on the controversial welfare bill - the Universal Credit and Personal Independent Payment Bill which was approved on Wednesday.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Daily Mail
a minute ago
- Daily Mail
Critical: Between Life And Death: Trailer, certificate and where to watch
Documentary series from the makers of 24 Hours In A&E, looking at the work of London's major trauma centres 2025
Daily Mail
a minute ago
- Daily Mail
Britain's 'most dangerous plant' strikes in Newcastle: Toddler is left with a blister the size of a PLUM after brushing past giant hogweed
A toddler was left with second-degree burns and an agonising blister 'the size of a plum' after a brush with 'Britain's most dangerous plant'. Brooklyn Bone, three, was probably exposed to giant hogweed while picking flowers on the way to childcare in Newcastle upon Tyne. The next day a blister appeared on his finger, and that night 'it seemed to blow up', quadrupling in size as it filled with pus. Mum Hether Irving said: 'I think he picked a flower on the way to childcare on Thursday morning and potentially came across it then. 'He was only exposed to it for a matter of minutes. 'It was the next day, on Friday afternoon, that I noticed a small blister on the edge of his nail. 'I knew something was wrong as through the night it seemed to blow up.' She continued: 'He was crying, holding his finger in the air, he couldn't have anything touch it, and he kept shaking. 'It blistered right the way down, half way to his knuckle, and by Saturday morning it was a huge pus-filled blister that had quadrupled in size. 'It was the size of a plum.' Little Brooklyn was taken to A&E at South Tyneside District Hospital. They said he had most likely had a brush with the dreaded giant hogweed. Known as 'Britain's most dangerous plant', it has sap that stops the skin protecting itself against the sun, leading to gruesome burns when exposed to daylight. And because it often causes no immediate pain, its victims can continue to burn in the sun heedless of any problem. On top of that, the plant can spread its sap with only a moment's exposure. At hospital, Brooklyn was put on the road to recovery. Some victims of the giant hogweed endure years of heightened sensitivity to sunlight where they were burned Miss Irving, a beautician, said: 'They immediately took pictures and explained what they thought it was. 'They lanced it and drained the fluid off, and we were sent up to the burns unit at the Royal Victoria Infirmary where he's being treated for second-degree burns. 'They have said it'll take up to four weeks to fully heal, and we have been back to hospital twice to change dressings. 'Each time it was very painful but the nurses were excellent.' There could be longer term damage too. Some victims of the giant hogweed endure years of heightened sensitivity to sunlight where they were burned. Glasgow pensioner, George Parsonage, last year said he was still troubled by a giant hogweed wound sustained in the 1960s. Brooklyn too must be extra careful in future. Hether, 40, said: 'They've said if he goes in the sun in future, he needs factor 50 on his finger as it's now very dangerous, as he will burn because of the hogweed.' She continued: 'I urge people not to let their children touch bushes, or things that seem harmless. 'We were lucky it was only one finger, I can't imagine what that would be like if it was a full arm or leg. 'It was absolutely horrific. His skin was peeled off half way down his finger to prevent infection.' The giant hogweed is native to the Caucasus, but was introduced to Britain as an ornamental plant in 1817, and its spread has now got out of control. It was called 'without a shadow of a doubt, the most dangerous plant in Britain' by Mike Duddy, of the Mersey Basin Rivers Trust in 2015. What is giant hogweed? Giant Hogweed is a non-native species to the UK. It was first introduced to the UK as an ornamental plant in the 19th century after being discovered in the Caucasus Mountains and Central Asia. The plant escaped and naturalised in the wild and can now be found throughout much of the UK - especially on river banks as its seeds are transported by the water. It has been spreading uncontrollably across Scotland for decades, producing up to 50,000 seeds which can survive for many years. But the sap of the weed, which looks like a giant version of the harmless plant cow parsley, is extremely toxic to humans and animals, causing horrific burns on the skin. The skin remains sensitive to UV light for many years - and can even cause blindness if near the eyes.
The Independent
3 minutes ago
- The Independent
Why the resident doctors are wrong to go on a five-day strike
The imminent strikes by the BMA resident doctors pose a moment of sadness. It is sad for patients and sad for the NHS. We are in the economic equivalent of a Covid crisis in the NHS; if the proposed reforms aren't delivered, it will be an existential crisis for our health system. I do not say that at all lightly, but I do say it from decades of knowledge and experience. It is a relief that reforms are already starting to see things moving in the right direction, but this action will choke off that recovery and put the NHS in a perilous place. I was a GP for 29 years. It is a privilege to be a clinician and share people's lives at difficult moments. It is our professional duty to put the people we care for before ourselves. Last year's (and this year's) pay award amounts to a 28.9 per cent increase for resident doctors compared with three years ago. It is what many other people dream of, not to mention the almost unique index-linked NHS pensions. It cannot have been easy to persuade the Treasury to pay out in such resource-constrained times. Having pocketed that, the resident doctors now need to accept that there is no more money for pay – reform has to have priority. That said, there are valid issues to be sorted out in training, allocation to jobs, and working conditions. It isn't right that resident doctors can be randomly allocated to posts, disrupting lives, or find the catering arrangements totally inadequate when on call. However, the NHS 10-year plan contains within it a pledge to deal with such matters with speed. So, I just don't understand the call for a strike. It is disproportionate when there is such an open door. Without getting too Monty Python, as a junior doctor, I did one in two or one in three 'on calls', which meant working the days and also working through every other night (or third night) with time beyond 40 hours paid at a third of our normal rate. It was brutal, but our representatives worked to make things better – and from this, the current generation benefits. We wouldn't ever have considered taking action against our patients. And this action is against patients. The resident doctors may be worried about their futures, but so is every patient who now might not be treated. Polls suggest patients do not agree with the resident doctors. I hope the public supports the NHS and opposes the resident doctors this time. I hope resident doctors support the NHS – and not their leaders. The proposed action will further erode trust by people in the NHS. It is already at an all-time low, and the consent of the nation to use 40 per cent of departmental spend on a poorly performing healthcare system is unlikely to continue without improvement. This resident doctors' action almost guarantees the end of the NHS if they continue, playing into the hands of those who want to have a different healthcare system. This action is the industrial relations equivalent of the charge of the Light Brigade. The resident doctors should remember the spirit of the Hippocratic oath; first, do no harm.
