Bringing it home better than any politician - Harry's story

I am surprised by your praise for Burnham Dangran the way he handled the Mid Staffs Hospital scandal was wrong, IMHO, on so many levels.

After being moved by Harry, I carried on listening to the debate and was very heartened by Andy Burnham's rousing speech about what he would do for the NHS as Health secretary. His plan for a cradle to grave health AND social care service, properly integrated, sounded a good way forward to me, and his promise of help for carers too. I'm sorry to see the 'they're all the same' mantra trotted out on this theme.Whatever Labour's faults it always looks after its creation, the NHS, vastly better than Tory governments do. Lansley's reforms are rapidly dismantling it, and for the poorest we'll be back to the bad old days. Harry's speech was a waste of breath if we just sigh and say 'there's nothing to be done, they're all the same'

I've just read a good response from someone who said to two 'warring' sides of the political spectrum 'they might be different trains but they both aim to arrive at the same platform' - sad but true nowadays.

It was interesting seeing some journalists talking about how the Labour Party Conference used to be*Hollydaze*, with members making decisions rather than the sanitized presentations by MPs. I think people of all leanings feel that so many of the politicians are administrators rather than people of conscience. This may not be true but since they all had to be "on message" none of them really says anything of consequence.

After seeing him on the news Gracesgran, I don't feel so daft after seeing others moved to tears.

He spoke of all the things that worry me - I share his view that things are moving backwards and it's why I say I'm puzzled that very few people seem to be trying to stop it. It's why I hate seeing either Labour or Conservative getting in again because it means nothing is going to change - a few sweetners thrown out to keep people quiet but nothing that really matters.

I bought his book and have passed it round the family. Unfortunately, it's talking to the converted, and it's other people who need to read it.

It struck cords with me Holly and I found it very moving. My father was born a little earlier than Harry - 1918 (sadly not longer with us) and I can remember him telling me about voting in the 1945 election - he too was still in the Air Force after going through the war. They felt they could move mountains - and they did with the NHS.

That made me cry

Thanks for sharing this. Very moving