FOREIGN secretary David Miliband visited South Harrow on Friday (Mar 12) to bolster Labour colleague Gareth Thomas' re-election campaign.
The cabinet minister joined the MP for Harrow West in speaking to staff and pupils at Roxbourne First and Middle School in Torbay Road before touring Alexandra Avenue Health and Social Care Centre in Alexandra Avenue, one of the first five polyclinics in London and run by The Ridgeway Surgery in conjunction with seven other practices.
Mr Miliband said: "I think it's a really good example of what the health service can be, which is open 365 days a year, 12 hours a day.
"We're giving leading GPs the chance to do even operations here. It's a remarkable system of health improvement and the stream of people coming in is just testament to that."He added: "The reason I'm here is that if you don't vote Labour locally, you don't get a Labour government.
"We need many more people like Gareth in the House of Commons, not just for Harrow but for the whole of Britain."
Harrow has a sizeable Tamil diaspora and Mr Miliband was asked what he would be doing as foreign secretary about the political unrest in their homeland, where they want to establish a separate state.
He replied: "I want to see a political settlement in Sri Lanka. I support equal rights for all people in Sri Lanka.
"I want Tamils over here to be part of the British system and to vote Labour and be active in their communities."
Mr Thomas has a majority of 2,028 going into the General Election, which is likely to be held simultaneously with the local council elections on Thursday May 6.
His known opponents so far are Conservative Dr Rachel Joyce and Liberal Democrat, and Harrow councillor, Chris Noyce.
