Tories: We’re the progressive party…well, not him. Or him. Or him.

Lots of noise yesterday about George Osbourne’s claim that the Tories are carrying the ‘torch of progressive politics‘.
I’ve actually never been a big fan of the word ‘progressive’. I think it tends to be used in the Labour Party by people who don’t want to use the word ’socialist’. But what does it mean to [...]

The day Twitter went Bevanite

Inspired by the lies Dan Hannan has been telling the US media about our wonderful health service (and don’t forget that Cameron has still not condemned Hannan’s comments), the American right has started laying into it even more.
The Brits aren’t standing for it. Comedy writer Graham Linehan started a backlash on Twitter with a #welovetheNHS hashtag campaign, [...]

The hive-mind takes on Hannan

If you’re reading this, you probably read last night’s post on Dan Hannan’s contempt for the NHS. But it wasn’t just me: some of the finest minds on the internet were having a crack at Hannan and his Tory cronies too. Here’s a selected round-up:
First off, a few facts and figures about the system the Washington Times described [...]

Euthanasia and cake

If you follow me on Twitter you might have noticed me whinging and whining and complaining more than usual lately. I do apologise. It’s my job. I love it but it does, essentially, consist of people telling me about the things that stop their lives being bearable (more on this later).
Last week, someone called me [...]

Our doctors and nurses: an electoral bloc, says Hannan

Dan Hannan’s still off on his badmouthing-the-NHS-around-the-world tour, this time telling the Army & Navy Club in Washington that free healthcare (like what we’ve got) represents a ‘huge power grab by the state machine’. Someone give the boy a biscuit.
Hannan obviously departed this planet for MiltonFreedmanWorld long ago. Making sick people better, for no cost at the [...]

Swine flu and stilettoes

That mammoth, catch-up blog post I’ve been promising you all is underway, but has been somewhat delayed by the fact that – as you’ll know if you follow my bleeding heart Tweets – I’ve spent the last week in quarantine (i.e. under a duvet) with suspected swine flu.
I’m much better today and spent several hours on [...]

Doctor accused of sexual abuse during abortions

The Manchester Evening News reports today on these shocking allegations at the Marie Stopes clinic in Fallowfield.
Women undergoing termination are surely among the most vulnerable groups in the healthcare system and have to put up with enough scaremongering about the risks from anti-choice groups without having to contend with the fear of being exploited in this [...]

More on free prescriptions…

…from this guy. Haven’t worked out what I think about free prescriptions for all, yet, although obviously I’m sold on them for students. Thoughts, anyone?

Alastair Campbell – New Statesman Guest Editor

Alastair Campbell (yeah, him again) will be editing the New Statesman the week after next.
As part of the issue, he will be giving a page over to readers’ suggestions on how to end the sentence “If I had one sentence in the next Labour manifesto, it would say ….”
I really want to suggest something but [...]

Tuesday = telly

There’s an interesting contrast on TV at the moment in terms of guilting-the-public-into-feeding-their-kids-better adverts.
The Department of Health/NHS Choices’ friendly, cuddly, no-long-words Change4Life advert launched just after New Year – I’m a big fan of its non-specific exhortation to ‘Move More’, and have been moving my muffin-making spoon much more since it came on.
No, I mock [...]