Some days there is little or no news. On others it is as if it was planned that bad news should flood the media. The last couple of days have been bad news days.
The government has announced draconian anti-union measures.
Then it threatened the future of the BBC.
And followed that with a demand that hospital consultants and others work seven days a week in the NHS without additional pay, which their onw advisors say is likely to lead to a staffing crisis.
They followed that up with the suggestion that the NHS might at some point cease to be free at the point of care.
And as the evening progressed news came that the Bank of England thinks that interest rate rises are likely sometime in the next year, increasing to by more than 1.5% over a period of a year or so once they start.
Why be worried? For several reasons, I suggest.
Firstly, the attitude towards unions strikes at the heart of individual freedom: the right to strike is fundamental to liberty, but the plan is to deny it.
Second, the attack on union rights to fund political activity is bound to further imbalance political debate in this country. That is bad for our democracy.
Third, the attack on hospital consultants is not evidence based (making consultants work is pretty daft unless the whole hospital is fully open because they work as part of a team, not in isolation) and, without extra resources, could be deeply counter-productive.
The attack on the BBC is purely dogma driven in pursuit of Murdoch interests, which is profoundly unhealthy for the UK and the balance of its news.
Whilst the increase in interest rates and a return to what bankers call 'normal times' will increase average mortgage payments in the UK by more than £80 a month or £1,000 a year. In many households this is the tipping point into simply not being able to make ends meet.
Each of these moves is a worrying threat to the delicate and finely balanced fabric of what makes things work at present. Each in itself may be manageable. Put together and they are something different. They do, in combination, attack the rights of individuals, make their lives economically harder, strip away the underpinning of security on which they rely and threaten to remove something of value that also provides (despite all its faults) two world class services that make most other resources in every other country look hopelessly inadequate.
This is dogmatic change without evidence to support it that will make the lives of millions worse in many ways.
Of course such a process, with all it implies, concerns me. Why wouldn't it?
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But a good day if you are a Tory MP with a 10% Pay Rise
Since strikes are at an all-time low, I assume they are using the recent, and ongoing, disputes on the underground. Maybe now it should be pointed-out (while they are blaming drivers) that there are 20,000 rail staff involved in the dispute, and that tfl and others are imposing ridiculous time limits and allowing no time for the unions to consult members (and that is via ACAS). Nothing like an engineered dispute to provoke anti-union passion is there. Shades of nazi Germany here methinks.
Doesn’t it seem strange that the terms of the Greek humiliation also contain attacks on unions and free speech?
There is no voice of opposition from The Labour Party, Harriet Harman’s decision not to oppose social security cuts is clear evidence that Labour had given up a long time ago because they do not represent anything the voters can identify, particularly the working class. THERE IS NO VIABLE OPPOSITION. Libs failed spectacularly, UKIP a distraction, Greens are nascent, SNP a force. Labour have become afraid, they are cowed by the media, they think they can manage things better. Syriza was beaten by the threat to send the country back to dark ages without any social security, the IMF, ECB and 0.1% will go to any lengths to continue their wealth extraction process. What you describe above Richard are the essential steps to “Greece” the UK.
In 2011 David Cameron said he would not consider an American insurance based system for the NHS. It would be safe in his hands.
When Andrew Neil asked Michael Portillo why the NHS changes were not in the Tory manifesto, he replied candidly that because no one would have voted for them had they known about the changes.
Now it seems all forms of funding will be looked at. Unsustainable is a word they keep throwing at us, we are too old, we are too fat.
Quite a few in the Lords would fit that description.
At the end of the day, which IS arriving soon, the politicians know that they have to have some sort of “plan” in place to suppress public actions.
Never forget, ALL the banks in the world are facing imminent collapse. The “bail-outs” only delayed the inevitable.
That is why Greece is being treated as it is; to set an example to the other EU financial cripples.
“Remember, at the end of the day, it’s all about the big banks’ derivative exposure, NOTHING else. This is what has driven every Central Bank action since 2008. And it’s what will drive Europe’s future negotiations for a 3rd Greek Bailout”
http://www.zerohedge.com/news/2015-07-16/why-germany-would-prefer-grexit-debt-forgiveness
The NHS does however represent a problem because in effect it is open ended spending ad infinitem. The solution should be sought not in charging the user but charging the things that lead to its (over)use. So the fast food and soft drink industries should be specially taxed – perhaps to accord with the country’s obesity levels or the incidence of diabetes, both of which weigh heavily, to coin a phrase, on the NHS. McDonald’s and Coca Cola, two of the biggest purveyors of useless calories in the world (and, laughably, sponsers of the Olympics) have conveniently managed to nationalise the costs and privatise the profits.
Tinkering with the BBC is certainly just dogma (or revenge for giving a platform for criticsm). They cost the government nothing – and indeed the government have managed to load earlier government expenditure obligations such as the world service and broadband onto the BBC’s revenue base. Don’t the BBC pay tax? Don’t the BBC export?
Union bashing is more dogma and really shows what a nasty party the Tories are, and how successful the Lib Dems were in covering that up. The tube strike seems to have reminded the Conservatives that the unions still have a little power left. It seems hardly mentioned but as I understand it the Underground strike is about working nights. The night tube was brought in out of the blue and without consultation. The management seem to have presumed that Underground staff would happily go from working an average of two weeks on nights per year to an average of about 15 weeks. They are not keen and I can’t say I blame them…
Lots to agree with there – especially on NHS
Not so sure the demise of the BBC is a bad thing -it has become a vehicle for neo-liberal myth spreading and dumbed-down anti-intellectual ‘debate.’
because it is fearful of this review, yes
But it should be a platform for debate and could be again
May you are absolutely spot on about the fast food outlets. Obesity is totally epidemic, even dare I say it amongst health professionals.
But we do spend less on health than other G7 nations, Italy is low also. Education and prevention is vital.
however the message does not reach all. Could it be as simple as school domestic science lessons, in my day only taught to the girls.
Sorry for being stuck in a rut about the nhs, my grief for its demise is deep Always room for improvement yes, unsustainable no.
Just need to add, Lord David Prior is off my Christmas card list and to make myself feel better I will toast a large cinnamon and raisin bagel with butter liberally applied. Treats are allowed.
JohnM says:
“Ahhh..the NHS.
Told to me by a [fast getting out] doctor:
“we are limited in prescribing antibiotics.
We cannot prescribe for antibiotic prophylaxis, although it is standard procedure for your condition.
So we send you to the hospital clinic. They will run several tests to confirm what we already know, and then prescribe the medication. They charge the commissioning group for their services. You get the medication we knew you needed. They get paid. We do not fall foul of prescribing guidelines”
Over managed, and overmanaged NOT from within, but from without. Clinicians told how to do medicine by bureaucrats.
Weird way to do things.”
Sylvia Dobson
Very true. But of course if the taxpayer is paying then they are entitled to know where their tax is going.
Whilst we spend less this is really about overheads. Any private system (I’ve some passing aquaintance with the French system, which is bureaucracy as she was invented!) is bound to be dearer.
Ahhh..the NHS.
Told to me by a [fast getting out] doctor:
“we are limited in prescribing antibiotics.
We cannot prescribe for antibiotic prophylaxis, although it is standard procedure for your condition.
So we send you to the hospital clinic. They will run several tests to confirm what we already know, and then prescribe the medication. They charge the commissioning group for their services. You get the medication we knew you needed. They get paid. We do not fall foul of prescribing guidelines”
Over managed, and overmanaged NOT from within, but from without. Clinicians told how to do medicine by bureaucrats.
Weird way to do things.