Latest news with #RosieWrighting
ITV News
11-07-2025
- Politics
- ITV News
Lawyer who represented families in toxic waste scandal calls for public inquiry
The lawyer representing the families in the Corby toxic waste scandal is joining MPs in Corby and Kettering in their calls for a public inquiry into what happened. The scandal involved a series of birth defects in children born to mothers living near the former steelworks in Corby. Following the closure of the steelworks in the 1980s, the area was redeveloped and millions of tonnes of toxic waste were moved, often in open lorries. Now the town's two labour MPs Lee Barron who represents Corby and Rosie Wrighting, who is the MP for Kettering are backing the call for a government inquiry. Des Collins, senior partner at Collins Solictors, is the lawyer who represented the families in the 2009 high court case. He along with Lee Barron MP and Rosie Wrighting MP have sent a letter to North Northamptonshire council demanding they reveal where they got rid of the waste. 'Tell us where this stuff is buried' Des said: "We think the majority of the waste was put into landfill, the suggestion being made at the moment is they didn't know to bury the waste properly. "We are going to ask the council against the background of the 2009 judgement to tell us exactly where this stuff is buried and if they don't know, why they don't know. 'I think Corby has been badly let down' "There should be a public inquiry into Corby because that's something we believed should be addressed by government, because it doesn't stand up to scrutiny that they know stuff was moved and moved badly. "The way to sort this out is for the council to say this is how it's buried, this is where it's buried, this is testing we have done to show that there is nothing wrong here but this is not what they are doing." What did the high court case find? The case which involved 18 families, conclusively showed that the birth defects seen in children and babies living in the town was because of airborne waste. It also found that Corby Borough Council did not dispose of the waste correctly and that they were negligent in managing it. It also established that the material had been in the ground and that the waste could cause embryonic birth defects. Toxic Town The scandal has been brought more into public attention through the Netflix show Toxic Town which tells the stories of a group of mothers who joined together to fight for justice. The drama centres around three of the mothers at the centre of the scandal who fought for justice after their children were born with birth defects. Most of the children were born with missing fingers or toes - a phenomenon referred to at the time as "Corby Hand" - and some of the babies died. Des said: "Around 30 or 40 families have come to us since Toxic Town with concerns about birth defects such as leukaemia."
BBC News
30-05-2025
- Business
- BBC News
Reform UK council leader in Northants criticised on net zero
A newly elected Reform UK council leader has been criticised over his remarks about net zero this week, North Northamptonshire Council's Martin Griffiths questioned the role of local authorities in tackling climate appointed council leader on 22 May, said his party was not made up of "climate change deniers" but believed that net zero was a "global matter" that was "making everyone poorer".But the leader of the Green Party group on the council, Emily Fedorowycz, said his statements on net zero were "irresponsible" and "dangerous". Fedorowycz said there was an "enormous" economic opportunity from climate projects and there would be future costs to residents if targets were ignored."Blaming climate action for rising poverty is a deliberate distraction from the real causes: a broken energy system, years of underinvestment in insulation and public transport, and global reliance on fossil fuels." Labour MP for Kettering Rosie Wrighting also criticised the comments, writing on social media: "Constituents regularly raise concerns with me about the climate emergency and bills."Tackling net zero is vital to both issues, so I am disappointed to read these comments by the new Reform leader of [North Northamptonshire Council]."Wrighting added: "Councillor Griffiths describes [net zero] as a 'global matter', brushing it off as someone else's problem."But local councils have a role to play and I will be watching [the council's] climate approach closely." North Northamptonshire Council declared a climate emergency in 2021 and committed to becoming a carbon-neutral authority by council's targets align with the UK's national legal requirement to reach net zero emissions by 2050 or Reform administration is expected to lead the council until 2029, shaping local environmental and policy decisions during that time. Speaking to the Local Democracy Reporting Service earlier this week, Griffiths said on other areas relating to the climate and environment, he agreed with wanting to plant more trees and clean up the county's stance taken by the new leader of the council mirrors the opinions of the Reform party at the national has been contacted for further Iain Staffell of Imperial College London said that in the long term, renewables "will be bringing down overall energy bills, and specifically electricity bills, for the UK".But some analysts have said in the short term, green energy prices could rise due to the rush to secure enough renewables to meet the 2030 net zero goal. Follow Northamptonshire news on BBC Sounds, Facebook, Instagram and X.
BBC News
30-04-2025
- Health
- BBC News
Rosie Wrighting MP calls for bereavement suites in new maternity units
A proposal to ensure bespoke bereavement suites are built into all new maternity units has been brought before Labour MP for Kettering, Rosie Wrighting, presented her Maternity Units Bill on Tuesday, in the House of bill would make it a legal requirement for newly built maternity units to include private bereavement spaces, ensuring grieving families are not placed alongside those experiencing the joy of childbirth."[Losing a baby] is made more difficult, when [mothers] experience this in a maternity ward... surrounded by mothers and families celebrating new life," Wrighting told the Commons. "For parents where the local hospital has a dedicated bereavement suite away from the main labour ward, they can process that pain in privacy and peace." According to figures from bereavement charity Sands, 13 families in the UK lose a baby each day before, during, or shortly after Kettering General Hospital, (KGH,) families who suffered baby loss were previously placed in rooms within the main labour ward. That changed after the launch of the Twinkling Stars Appeal in 2019, which raised £1m for a new bereavement suite, now under construction as part of a maternity unit Wrighting, who herself was born a premature baby at KGH, said: "Kettering General cares for up to 100 families a year who lose a baby. "They will now be cared for in a suite that has a bereavement area with... a cold cot for precious time with their babies."What we can do is try... not to add to those feelings and make an awful situation even worse by not providing support in an understanding environment."The bill will now go to a second reading on 16 May. Follow Northamptonshire news on BBC Sounds, Facebook, Instagram and X.
The Independent
29-04-2025
- Health
- The Independent
MP calls for every new maternity unit to have bereavement suite
Every new maternity unit should have a bereavement suite so grieving parents can 'process that pain with privacy and peace', an MP has said. Rosie Wrighting warned MPs that the experience of baby loss was 'made more difficult' if parents were 'surrounded by mothers and families celebrating new life'. The MP for Kettering, who said she was born eight weeks early, proposed the Maternity Units (Requirement for Bereavement Suite) Bill, which if agreed to would require new units to have a dedicated bereavement facility. 'For anyone who is experiencing the loss of a baby, it is already one of the most difficult times in their life,' Ms Wrighting told the Commons. 'It's made more difficult when they experience this in a maternity ward in their hospital surrounded by mothers and families celebrating new life. 'There is no number of new facilities that can take that pain away but for parents where the local hospital has a dedicated bereavement suite, away from the main labour ward, they can process that pain with privacy and peace.' In her speech, Ms Wrighting praised staff at Kettering General Hospital's Rockingham Wing, where she was born, who she said 'help people go through one of the most difficult experiences anyone can imagine, and they continue to do this despite years of underfunding and understaffing'. The Northamptonshire MP said the hospital – where there are plans for a new bereavement suite as part of a Rockingham Wing extension – was where her 'mum fought for her life after a complicated and traumatic birth which was made even more difficult as she was surrounded by happy and healthy mothers and their babies'. She described a suite as a 'safe, separate space where families are not coming face-to-face with other pregnant women and newborn babies while going through such a heartbreaking time'. According to the stillbirth and neonatal death charity Sands, 13 families a day lose their babies before, during or shortly after birth. 'So, this is bigger than Kettering or Northamptonshire,' Ms Wrighting said, and added that she had looked at fundraising website JustGiving before her speech to find it 'full of appeals from every corner of the country for funding for new facilities, specialist counselling or trained midwives for bereavement services'. She told MPs: 'I can't even begin to express the admiration I have for parents who are taking their pain and channelling it into making things better for those who come after them.' Ms Wrighting's Bill will be listed for a second reading debate on May 16.
Yahoo
29-04-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
MP calls for every new maternity unit to have bereavement suite
Every new maternity unit should have a bereavement suite so grieving parents can 'process that pain with privacy and peace', an MP has said. Rosie Wrighting warned MPs that the experience of baby loss was 'made more difficult' if parents were 'surrounded by mothers and families celebrating new life'. The MP for Kettering, who said she was born eight weeks early, proposed the Maternity Units (Requirement for Bereavement Suite) Bill, which if agreed to would require new units to have a dedicated bereavement facility. 'For anyone who is experiencing the loss of a baby, it is already one of the most difficult times in their life,' Ms Wrighting told the Commons. 'It's made more difficult when they experience this in a maternity ward in their hospital surrounded by mothers and families celebrating new life. 'There is no number of new facilities that can take that pain away but for parents where the local hospital has a dedicated bereavement suite, away from the main labour ward, they can process that pain with privacy and peace.' In her speech, Ms Wrighting praised staff at Kettering General Hospital's Rockingham Wing, where she was born, who she said 'help people go through one of the most difficult experiences anyone can imagine, and they continue to do this despite years of underfunding and understaffing'. The Northamptonshire MP said the hospital – where there are plans for a new bereavement suite as part of a Rockingham Wing extension – was where her 'mum fought for her life after a complicated and traumatic birth which was made even more difficult as she was surrounded by happy and healthy mothers and their babies'. She described a suite as a 'safe, separate space where families are not coming face-to-face with other pregnant women and newborn babies while going through such a heartbreaking time'. According to the stillbirth and neonatal death charity Sands, 13 families a day lose their babies before, during or shortly after birth. 'So, this is bigger than Kettering or Northamptonshire,' Ms Wrighting said, and added that she had looked at fundraising website JustGiving before her speech to find it 'full of appeals from every corner of the country for funding for new facilities, specialist counselling or trained midwives for bereavement services'. She told MPs: 'I can't even begin to express the admiration I have for parents who are taking their pain and channelling it into making things better for those who come after them.' Ms Wrighting's Bill will be listed for a second reading debate on May 16.
