“The first paragraph of the manifesto on which the Conservative government was elected set out a commitment to a fully 7 day NHS. Reforming junior doctors pay is key part of being able to deliver a service that the British public voted for.
“Whilst I am grateful for the work junior doctors carry out day in day out, I cannot support a strike that irresponsibly withdraws A &E treatment.
“The BMA's action is that of trade union seeking to politicise a pay dispute for their own ends. The issue of pay has been hijacked by the BMA and it is the British public who are being affected.
“75% of doctors will see a pay increase and no one working within contracted hours will see pay cut. In addition the maximum number of hours allowed to be worked in a week is being cut by 19, the number of consecutive nights working is being cut from seven to four and the maximum consecutive long days working will be reduced from seven to five.
“Junior doctors receive training that is second to none and they have excellent career prospects earning salaries that most can only ever dream of. Even whilst training their levels of pay are significantly higher than many in my constituency.
“In Telford, thousands of people work weekends for the same rate as pay as those working in the week. In modern society Saturday working is extremely common, and indeed for many in Telford is the norm.
“Having been afforded excellent life opportunities, junior doctors are holding the British public to ransom. People need to look past the lines being trotted out by the BMA to justify this action and question what is the real motive for these strikes.”