2015 Election - antidotes?

The fact his precis for the conservatives read :-

'The Conservatives don't want a fight on this territory 'AT ALL' their interest is in closing down debate on the NHS and focusing on the economy. Health does not feature in their top 6 priorities'.

Now it is arguable as to whether that is right or wrong but he detailed information as to Labour policies in a comprehensive fashion and gave 'lick spittle' to the Lib Dems.

There was no coverage of conservative plans past or present other than that one paragraph and another at the end of his report which was beyond trivial.

I wouldn't be arguing over the report if he had been honest and said he was discussing Labour policy but his article title gave the reader the impression he was serious about raising policies by all three main party's and he made no attempt to do so.

POGS Richard Vize's article, which durhamjen posted, had a go at all the mainstream parties, saying none of them offered a "convincing plan for change". What did you feel was biased about it?

And your point about Richard Vize is, POGS?

I found this very interesting about rail privatisation.

actionforrail.org/private-rail-operators-using-public-subsidies-to-fund-pay-outs-to-shareholders/

A reason to vote for a party that wants to renationalise the railways.

Irony

The link to the Guardian in the post of 12.33 gives voice to Richard Vize.

Nothing remotely biased in that non tallented piece of journalism was there.

" Toward the tail end of 2014 there were some promises of electoral sweeteners – admittedly uncosted and set for some time in the distant future – but in 2015 the Tory message has been universally negative.

This starts with the approach to Labour. Miliband is relentlessly mocked as weird, a tactic Michael Gove specifically took umbrage at recently. The party's warnings about Labour in office are borderline hysterical, veering from Trotskyism to 28 Days Later.

And its policy proposals are no more positive. Yesterday David Cameron said unemployed young people would be forced to do six months unpaid community work to get their benefits. It didn't matter that London's post-riots 'Day One Support for Young People Trailblazer' scheme had shown these initiatives to be counterproductive and ineffective. Under Crosby's leadership, these measures poll well, so they are pursued."

Crosby's tactics obviously work on some gransnetters.

Here's another way for private companies to make money to hide from the taxman.

www.politics.co.uk/comment-analysis/2015/02/18/outsourcing-democracy-how-private-companies-could-profit-fro

They like cutting off their noses to spite their faces.
They probably do that to jump the long queues in A&E in Wales.

But Wales will still vote Labour again
They like cutting off their noses to spite their faces.

I see the usual happened today.

Labour run NHS in Wales reported their waiting time target of 95% was missed for January 2015. They achieved 82.3%, up from 81% for Dec 2014.

Had this been the reported figures for England it would have been headline news and Burnham would have been all over the TV channels calling for Hunt's resignation, at least another 'Urgent Question'.

Anyone would think there is an election looming.

Thank you.

For you, soontobe.

www.theguardian.com/healthcare-network/2015/feb/18/general-election-2015-labour-policy-nhs-liberal-democrats-conservatives

https://www.opendemocracy.net/ourkingdom/bob-mountain/hsbc-scandal-if-hmrc-is-underfunded-tax-cheats-will-continue-to-win

Whoever gets this sorted will have no problem funding the NHS properly.

And very sorry about your grandfather

I dont think that the electorate would put up with that.
There would be strikes and riots. Not to mention the political party not getting votes.

I get that you are scared.

But it is one of, if not the most important.
Can you imagine what would happen in this country if the NHS went back to what it was before the second world war? How would we pay for it? How many of us would be dead by now if we had to pay for all our prescriptions?
I know my grandfather died because he and his wife could not afford medication that he needed.

The NHS is but one aspect of Government.

I agree that it looks like people and companies are circling.

Does any of them say what Labour's policy is on privatisation?
Or the other parties?

I can google if necessary.

This is an article from an American who has lived in London since 2011.

https://www.opendemocracy.net/ournhs/jason-hickel/take-it-from-american-britain%27s-nhs-is-as-good-as-it-gets

Good to know what he thinks of the NHS.

A very long read.

nhap.org/nhs-scaremongerers-nha-party-dr-clive-peedell-dr-louise-irvine-dr-paul-hobday-dr-bob-gill/

They have their people in place anyway, in the higher echelons of the NHS.
Simon Stevens is probably still paid by United Health.
Sickening, isn't It?

In the I today - "US hospitals group sets its sights on NHS work".

The Cleveland Clinic has hired British consultants to help it explore potential work in the UK following the general election, should the role of private companies in providing services to the NHS be expanded.

"The clinic's targeting of the UK is a reflection of the international interest in the already heated pre-election debate on the future of the NHS." .....................

"If competition rules were changed by a future government, the value of private-sector business deals could rise further........... a launch [of the Cleveland Clinic] in the UK could have a "game-changing" impact on private involvement in state-funded healthcare."

If Unison thinks privatisation is gathering speed before the election - even though it is a controversial issue for many people and risks losing votes for the Conservative Party - I believe that if the Conservatives return to office there will be an absolute deluge of privatisation. That is why the US private healthcare vultures are already circling.

Just received an email telling me this.

"I read in the Unison magazine today that NHS England has invited tenders from private companies to bid for all of the support groups who employ about 1,800 people. The contract, which is one of largest ever in the NHS is worth £1 billion over 10 years.
NHS England has refused to consider an 'in-house' option and work on an NHS bid has been shelved.

The board of NHS England will meet in Leeds on 26 March. Unison will be lobbying against this contract.

The health secretary of Unison Christina McAnea says that, "This government is running hell for leather to privatise as much as they can before the election". "

I thought the Kings Fund said that privatisation wasn't happening.

www.politics.co.uk/blogs/2015/02/09/big-business-is-making-ed-miliband-s-case-for-him