Originally posted @ 8:36 am, Sat 15th Aug 2009
The crankiness of the Tories in Europe showed again yesterday after Roger Helmer, Tory MEP in the East Midlands, said on BBC Radio 5 "If the Americans came to me and said would you recommend us taking up a system just like the British NHS? I think I would have to say 'No'."
Why? So so many Americans suffering, because they are not covered by health insurance. Money wasted on the bureaucracy of the insurance companies. The missed opportunity to say in matters of disease and ill health, we the people choose to care for all, free at the point of need.
Helmer's intervention will have frustrated David Cameron, coming after the appearance of a Tory MEP on US television, attacking the NHS. (Did Hannon think the Americans would keep the interview a secret?)
The Tories say they will spend more on the NHS in the future – but failed to vote for increased spending on health in recent years.
There’s good reasons for Labour’s authority on the NHS. Principle. Resources. Reform. Spending on health has trebled in cash terms under Labour and we have reformed to improve services to patients including guarantees of maximum waiting times.
The Tories would not guarantee 18 months in 1997, never mind the 18 weeks we have now.
Noticeable that BBC Radio 5 felt the need to challenge Health Secretary Andy Burham about using Twitter to campaign. A bit sensitive.
Alongside David Cameron, Sarah Ferguson also had a bad day in the media. The Daily Mail article overstates the problems she had on BBC Radio 5, http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1206674/Ill-live-hole-says-Fergie-phone-battering.html ; it was understandable how in her position, she couldn’t answer some of the questions being posed (e.g. family security). But the questions being posed like ‘why this location?’, ‘how are facilities being paid for?’ etc. are the kind that elected representatives are used to being asked about.
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