Mass Lobby of Parliament
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Picture shows: Liam Fox (Shadow Secretary of State for Health), Simon Hughes (Liberal Democrats), Alan Hartley (Chair, ACHCEW), Donna Covey (Director of ACHCEW), Austin Mitchell (Labour Party)
Mass Lobby of Parliament - 14 February 2001
Community Health Council (CHC) representatives and their supporters from across the UK held a mass lobby of Parliament on St Valentines Day (Wednesday the 14th February), in a last-ditch attempt to prevent the government from abolishing them. The theme of the day was ‘Watchdog not Lapdog’. Campaigners were joined on the lobby by a larger than life sized Watchdog.


Donna Covey, Director of the Association of Community Health Councils, said: 
‘The mass lobby really demonstrated the strength of feeling that there is on this issue across the country - people want to keep their Community Health Councils! Our lobby was attended by: MPs from all parties, Liam Fox the Shadow Secretary of State for Health, Paul Burstow Liberal Democrat Health Spokesperson, Charities, professional bodies, the Law Society, parents from Alder Hey, pensioner groups and many, many individuals who have benefitted from the help of their local CHC.  We are confident that the lobby was succesful in taking our message to the heart of Westminster.