Health Minister Sets No Limit to NHS Privatisation
In the midst of the dispute over the privatisation of NHS Logistics Patricia Hewitt, Secretary of State for Health, has angered NHS workers by refusing to set any limit to the Government's privatisation of the NHS.
This intervention will mobilise NHS workers in support of the Logistics dispute and public service workers across the public sector.
It is an astounding refusal to listen to the voices not just of NHS workers but also the general public who overwhelmimgly reject the privatisation of our health service.
Politically Secretary of State Hewitt's stance is almost suicidal and unless challenged will result in the loss of marginal after marginal seat across the country. All of this is driven by the Chancellor's obsession with the market and privatisation.
My fear is that as a result of the Brown/Hewitt policy many hardworking Labour MPs in key marginals could be facing independent candidates waging local NHS campaigns and lose their seats.
This intervention will mobilise NHS workers in support of the Logistics dispute and public service workers across the public sector.
It is an astounding refusal to listen to the voices not just of NHS workers but also the general public who overwhelmimgly reject the privatisation of our health service.
Politically Secretary of State Hewitt's stance is almost suicidal and unless challenged will result in the loss of marginal after marginal seat across the country. All of this is driven by the Chancellor's obsession with the market and privatisation.
My fear is that as a result of the Brown/Hewitt policy many hardworking Labour MPs in key marginals could be facing independent candidates waging local NHS campaigns and lose their seats.
posted by John at 2:10 PM
9 Comments:
It always makes make my blood boil when you here the total contempt these New Labour clones have for the health service workers.
There is an almost perverse fascination with management structures with the liberal use of consultants, which invariably cost a fortune and seem to come to same conclusions - cuts.
I believe i read that the 20% of the NHS budget goes on management! Is this correct?
Perhaps if the service was run democratically by the workers and patients committees this substantial chunk could be better employed.
Another major problem i see is with the amount of public money going to pharmaceutical companies.
This is the perfect example how corporate greed has no place in the health service, with companies often using patents to create monopoly prices which are passed on to the public.
The pharmaceutical industry should be taken into public hands, with a democratic plan to make sure the medical needs of the patients are properly prescribed free at the point need, with better sourced and superior medication.
Mark, Worcester.
Agree with you on pharmeceuticals, the profit system makes us ill and over charges us for cures.
An open source approach to research would also cut the bills.
Socialism is vital
Good luck in getting 44 signatures...but I am sticking with the campaign to defend socialism in the Green Party, seems an easier task
Socialism IS vital. But it's a much easier task frankly for socialists to join the Labour Party and re-claim it than build Green Party or any other "worker's party" from scratch - even in these awful days of New Labour we have far more numbers IN the Lab Partyand affiliated trade unions than anywhere else on so-called left .Am always mystified why comrades don't get this very simple point and continue to carp from the sidelines. People like John McDonnell need people who can VOTE for them
Following on from Derek Wall's comments, the following can be added:
1.Revitalising socialism within the Labour Party is now with reach.
2. The more publicity John McDonnell gets to publicise socialist policies the more obvious it is that he is indeed a very credible candidate.
3. People are yearning for a socialist to compare with Gordon Brown and all the other "architects of New Labour" who are now appealing for support.
4. New Labour has run out of steam. All the other Labour leadership candidates are tarnished. All those who backed the war in Iraq have frankly, proved themselves unfit to lead the Party in it's next phase.
5. All David Cameron can do is mimic Tony Blair. I am not sure the public is at all convinced nor the traditional reactionary Tory Party membership enthusiastic. A hung parliament offers little hope for progress.
6. There is a groundswell of opinion in the country wishing to vote for a socialist Labour government at the next General Election. (Some thought they voted for this in 1997 and are looking for a second opportunity.)
What is to be done?
* All socialists should urgently consider joining or re-joining the Labour Party now. (All LP members can vote for John and open up the debate for socialist policies in the Party in every constituency in the country.)
* Campaign with the trades unions to ensure members vote for JM in big numbers in the ballot which all unions will have to hold of members paying the political levy. (Unions have to distribute their votes proportionally so every vote counts.)
* Join the Labour Representation Committee (www.l-r-c.org.uk)- the national network to return the Party to socialism. The LRC offers solidarity.
* Monitor the local and national press. Rebutt each and every omission to mention JM. Use every opportunity to remind readers of his candidature and website. Tell this website about victories with the press!
* Join the John4leader campaign. There is everything to gain. With enough active support John McDonnell will win. The main thing is to really fight to win this time - the chance of a lifetime!
Pessimism of the intellect, optimism of the will.
Andy Erlam
The NHS now sees something like 15% spent on management. Some of this is reasonable, like the money spent on career development for NHS staff, but much of it these days is spent on costing procedures so that there can be a market in healthcare. That's just pure wastefulness. Thank the Government's commitment to businesses making profits out of healthcare for that.
As for Derek's comment about the Green Party, I think the point is not to 'defend' socialism, but to fight for it. Since socialism is about working class people taking back control of our own lives and organising society so that our needs come before the bosses' need to make a profit, you need a working class political organisation to do that. John's challenge for the Labour Party leadership provides an opportunity to argue for that with millions of workers who, through their unions' affiliations to the Labour Party, have a vote in deciding who should be the next Labour leader. To duck that, and 'defend socialism' somewhere else seems to me to be missing the point.
Anyway, the real comment I wanted to make was in regards to NHS Logistics, who are about to be privatised, in a practical expression of Hewitt's policy. I know John McDonnell has already made a statement of support for the NHS Logistics workers who launch a campaign of strike action to stop the privatisation tonight, but I hope all the visitors to his website will join with him in supporting their strike. You can make donations to their appeal fund on the UNISON website at http://www.unison.org.uk/healthcare/NHSlogistics/
Cheers,
Nick
URGENT MESSAGE RE:LABOUR PARTY CONFERENCE
Has anyone else had problems getting passes/late accreditation to Labour party conference
we need as many delegates there as possible to campaign for the policies we support through this website
if anyone else has a problem as I've done contact your Grassroots Alliance member asap and ask them to take it up for you
Here, here!
The sooner we get you into number 10 as PM the better!
C'mon John!
Hi. Pop along here and cast a vote for John ;o)
I am a bit worried about the NHS "Board" idea that has been floated. It smacks of abdication rather than delegation. the government must take responsibility for the health of the populace as it should for its safety (eg Public transport).
How will such a board account for itself - there will have to be such a complex set of rules/terms of engagement, that the ministry may as well do the job itself?
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