http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-12321166
The Tory-led Coalition's controversial plans for the NHS were unveiled in the House of Commons today.
The proposals mean that GPs will take over control of most of the NHS budget, supposedly allowing more decisions to be made at local level rather than from Whitehall.
A good idea on the surface, perhaps.
However, this is a clear example of how the Conservatives' obsession with the market is going to be put into practice in the implementation of Government policy.
Private companies will be allowed to compete with NHS hospitals in the provision of services. So obviously any GP being offered a lower price by a non-NHS source will be very tempted to take them on.
This will unundoubtedly lead to patient care becoming secondary to cost and one can only envisage a two-tier NHS emerging as a result.
More worrying is that many NHS hospitals could now go to the wall as a direct consequence of the new reforms. Under the proposed system, where people follow the market, the fear is that those hospitals that do not attract enough patients will be forced to close their doors.
The whole foundation on which these changes are based is that they will increase in choice of care available to patients. But if hospitals do not treat enough people, they will not survive, with their subsequence closure leading inevitably to patient choice being diminished.
The NHS will never be perfect, but the Coalition have engaged in change for change's sake and patients will suffer as a consequence.
Monday 31 January 2011
Sunday 16 January 2011
Labour Leader Maintains Tough Stance Against Unions Over Royal Wedding Strike Threat
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-12201252
Despite continual sniping from the Conservatives that he was elected mainly due the support of the Trades Unions, Ed Miliband, from day one of his leadership, has maintained a firm, uncompromising stance over the issue of industrial action.
In his first speech as Party leader last September, he stated that he had 'no truck' with the bosses of the major unions wanting to call their members out on strike at the drop of a hat. This was a clear warning to figures like RMT leader Bob Crowe, known for his hardline, militant attitude towards Tube management.
And today, Mr Miliband, has spoken out, quite rightly, against there being any kind of strike action on April 29, the day Prince William marries Kate Middleton.
There had been talk of members of the train drivers' union, ASLEF, walking out that day, but union bosses have now said that is unlikely.
Even so, just the threat of strike action disrupting the day's celebrations will have certainly alienated many people and had it gone ahead, would have no doubt made most of the public very unsympathetic to the unions' cause.
I hope Ed Miliband continues to speak out against any proposed or actual industrial action in this way.
He is doing extremely well in keeping Labour on the centre-ground of British politics, where it belongs.
Despite continual sniping from the Conservatives that he was elected mainly due the support of the Trades Unions, Ed Miliband, from day one of his leadership, has maintained a firm, uncompromising stance over the issue of industrial action.
In his first speech as Party leader last September, he stated that he had 'no truck' with the bosses of the major unions wanting to call their members out on strike at the drop of a hat. This was a clear warning to figures like RMT leader Bob Crowe, known for his hardline, militant attitude towards Tube management.
And today, Mr Miliband, has spoken out, quite rightly, against there being any kind of strike action on April 29, the day Prince William marries Kate Middleton.
There had been talk of members of the train drivers' union, ASLEF, walking out that day, but union bosses have now said that is unlikely.
Even so, just the threat of strike action disrupting the day's celebrations will have certainly alienated many people and had it gone ahead, would have no doubt made most of the public very unsympathetic to the unions' cause.
I hope Ed Miliband continues to speak out against any proposed or actual industrial action in this way.
He is doing extremely well in keeping Labour on the centre-ground of British politics, where it belongs.
SDP Founder Lord Owen Could Rejoin Labour Under Ed Miliband
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-12201106
I read with interest today that Lord Owen - one of the four MPs who left Labour in 1981 to form the SDP - is considering rejoining the Labour Party.
Lord Owen, who was Foreign Secretary under Jim Callaghan, has now said that he is very impressed with Ed Miliband's leadership so far and believes he has reclaimed some of the ground lost by Labour when Tony Blair was at the helm.
Now, he is considering voting for the Party again, if not rejoining them.
I find this all quite amazing, since David Owen, as he then was, along with Shirley Williams, Bill Rodgers and Roy Jenkins all left the Labour Party claiming it had gone too far to the left under Michael Foot's leadership.
Now the Labour peer is claiming that he is ready to rejoin a Party that is being led by a man thought to be more on the left than many other Cabinet ministers in the last government and considered to have won the leadership mainly due the support of the trades unions.
Given how far onto the centre-ground Tony Blair took Labour, I am very surprised indeed that Lord Owen did not publicly state his support for them whilst they in power.
This will certainly raise a few eyebrows.
I would be very interested to know what has been the nature of the conversations so far between Mr Miliband and Lord Owen.
I also think that, with so many Liberal Democrat supporters unhappy with Nick Clegg's propping up of the Tories right now, having such a prominent figure like David Owen back in the Labour fold could strengthen them as an opposition and encourage many Lib Dems to come over to Labour.
This could possibly increase the likelihood of the Party gaining enough support amongst the electorate for them to return to power very quickly at the next general election.
I read with interest today that Lord Owen - one of the four MPs who left Labour in 1981 to form the SDP - is considering rejoining the Labour Party.
Lord Owen, who was Foreign Secretary under Jim Callaghan, has now said that he is very impressed with Ed Miliband's leadership so far and believes he has reclaimed some of the ground lost by Labour when Tony Blair was at the helm.
Now, he is considering voting for the Party again, if not rejoining them.
I find this all quite amazing, since David Owen, as he then was, along with Shirley Williams, Bill Rodgers and Roy Jenkins all left the Labour Party claiming it had gone too far to the left under Michael Foot's leadership.
Now the Labour peer is claiming that he is ready to rejoin a Party that is being led by a man thought to be more on the left than many other Cabinet ministers in the last government and considered to have won the leadership mainly due the support of the trades unions.
Given how far onto the centre-ground Tony Blair took Labour, I am very surprised indeed that Lord Owen did not publicly state his support for them whilst they in power.
This will certainly raise a few eyebrows.
I would be very interested to know what has been the nature of the conversations so far between Mr Miliband and Lord Owen.
I also think that, with so many Liberal Democrat supporters unhappy with Nick Clegg's propping up of the Tories right now, having such a prominent figure like David Owen back in the Labour fold could strengthen them as an opposition and encourage many Lib Dems to come over to Labour.
This could possibly increase the likelihood of the Party gaining enough support amongst the electorate for them to return to power very quickly at the next general election.
Friday 14 January 2011
By-Election Boost For Miliband As Tories Are Criticised For Lacklustre Campaign
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-12191431
Ed Miliband's leadership has been given a boost after Labour safely held the seat of Oldham East and Saddleworth in Thursday's by-election.
Although the Liberal Democrats did increase their share of the vote on last May's General Election result, Labour's Debbie Abrahams romped home with a confortable majority with the Tories a distant third.
There is no doubt that this will be seen as an endorsement of the new Labour leader, who has received a lambasting in the mainly Tory-backed press for his performance so far, with them still refusing to see Mr Miliband as anything other than the man put at the helm by the unions.
This is, as the Labour leader said after the result, the first step on Labour's path back to power, but nobody is under any illusion that there is an extremely tough road ahead for the party.
Although the Tories were never going to come near to winning this seat, they should certainly be worried about their share of the vote and the Party's co-chair Baroness Warsi has been forced to deny that they deliberately fought a lacklustre campaign to help the Liberal Democrats.
With there being considerable anger amongst voters about the rise in student tuition fees and the huge hike in VAT, amongst other things, this result has to be seen as the first of many damning verdicts on the Coalition's performance.
Ed Miliband's leadership has been given a boost after Labour safely held the seat of Oldham East and Saddleworth in Thursday's by-election.
Although the Liberal Democrats did increase their share of the vote on last May's General Election result, Labour's Debbie Abrahams romped home with a confortable majority with the Tories a distant third.
There is no doubt that this will be seen as an endorsement of the new Labour leader, who has received a lambasting in the mainly Tory-backed press for his performance so far, with them still refusing to see Mr Miliband as anything other than the man put at the helm by the unions.
This is, as the Labour leader said after the result, the first step on Labour's path back to power, but nobody is under any illusion that there is an extremely tough road ahead for the party.
Although the Tories were never going to come near to winning this seat, they should certainly be worried about their share of the vote and the Party's co-chair Baroness Warsi has been forced to deny that they deliberately fought a lacklustre campaign to help the Liberal Democrats.
With there being considerable anger amongst voters about the rise in student tuition fees and the huge hike in VAT, amongst other things, this result has to be seen as the first of many damning verdicts on the Coalition's performance.
Tuesday 11 January 2011
Illsley's Position Now Untenable
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-12157768
Labour MP Eric Illsley has pleaded guilty in court today to charges of false accounting over claims of a second home.
Yet he has not resigned as an MP.
Yes it's true that he can still retain his seat in Parliament if he now receives a custodial sentence of less than a year. But given the fact that he has been found guilty of misusing tax-payers' money and can now be said to have betrayed the trust of his own constituents, there is no way, in my opinion that he can remain an MP.
Labour leader Ed Miliband and Prime Minister David Cameron have, quite rightly, called for him to resign gracefully.
Following the conviction and jailing last week of fellow Labour MP David Chaytor over the expenses scandal, this is another black day for the reputation of Parliament.
Mr Illsley's reputation, like Mr Chaytor's, is now in ruins. And there are further trials of other MPs to come.
Nobody found guilty of such serious offences can expect to remain in public office.
Labour MP Eric Illsley has pleaded guilty in court today to charges of false accounting over claims of a second home.
Yet he has not resigned as an MP.
Yes it's true that he can still retain his seat in Parliament if he now receives a custodial sentence of less than a year. But given the fact that he has been found guilty of misusing tax-payers' money and can now be said to have betrayed the trust of his own constituents, there is no way, in my opinion that he can remain an MP.
Labour leader Ed Miliband and Prime Minister David Cameron have, quite rightly, called for him to resign gracefully.
Following the conviction and jailing last week of fellow Labour MP David Chaytor over the expenses scandal, this is another black day for the reputation of Parliament.
Mr Illsley's reputation, like Mr Chaytor's, is now in ruins. And there are further trials of other MPs to come.
Nobody found guilty of such serious offences can expect to remain in public office.
Monday 3 January 2011
Miliband Springs To Life In Attack On VAT Rise
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-12106168
After what has been described by many commentators as a lacklustre start to his leadership of the Labour Party and an overall mediocre performance at Prime Minister's Questions, Ed Miliband confounded his critics today by launching a blistering attack on the huge hike in VAT that comes into force today.
VAT is now rising from 17.5 to 20%, a move that is going to hit everyone extremely hard.
Mr Miliband used a speech during a visit to Oldham East and Saddleworth - where a Parliamentary by-election is taking place on 13 January - to press home the consequences of such a rise in the tax.
He spoke effectively and eloquently claiming that the increase will cost families an extra £7.50 a week, and far from being a necessary measure to bring down the huge budget deficit, that it will actually impede growth in the economy and hit jobs.
Mr Miliband needs to maintain this high profile from now until the next election if he is to return Labour to government in the shortest possible time.
After what has been described by many commentators as a lacklustre start to his leadership of the Labour Party and an overall mediocre performance at Prime Minister's Questions, Ed Miliband confounded his critics today by launching a blistering attack on the huge hike in VAT that comes into force today.
VAT is now rising from 17.5 to 20%, a move that is going to hit everyone extremely hard.
Mr Miliband used a speech during a visit to Oldham East and Saddleworth - where a Parliamentary by-election is taking place on 13 January - to press home the consequences of such a rise in the tax.
He spoke effectively and eloquently claiming that the increase will cost families an extra £7.50 a week, and far from being a necessary measure to bring down the huge budget deficit, that it will actually impede growth in the economy and hit jobs.
Mr Miliband needs to maintain this high profile from now until the next election if he is to return Labour to government in the shortest possible time.
Cable Comments Highlights Splits In Coalition
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-12045792
Any doubts amongst Liberal Democrats over their position in the Coalition were blown into the public arena today by the publicizing of Vince Cable's recorded remarks that he could be pushed into walking out on the government.
Can we really now take this nonsense of a Coalition seriously now that a senior member of the Cabinet has voiced such disatisfaction with his position?
With a massive rise in VAT to come in the New Year, not to mention all the cuts in public spending, the already shaky position of the junior partners in this Coalition can only become more and more untenable as these sure-to-be extremely unpopular policies start to bit and hit the pockets of ordinary people.
Any doubts amongst Liberal Democrats over their position in the Coalition were blown into the public arena today by the publicizing of Vince Cable's recorded remarks that he could be pushed into walking out on the government.
Can we really now take this nonsense of a Coalition seriously now that a senior member of the Cabinet has voiced such disatisfaction with his position?
With a massive rise in VAT to come in the New Year, not to mention all the cuts in public spending, the already shaky position of the junior partners in this Coalition can only become more and more untenable as these sure-to-be extremely unpopular policies start to bit and hit the pockets of ordinary people.
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