Easy does it
Posted on
July 29, 2014 by
Rev. Stuart Campbell
There’s a remarkable story on the BBC website today. Torn between the referendum campaign and the 2015 UK election campaign, Labour’s health spokesman Andy Burnham has finally admitted in public that yes, NHS England IS being privatised.
But it’s what he wants done about it that made us double-take.
Wait, a PAUSE? Labour just want to PAUSE the privatisation of the English NHS for a bit? So they’re fine with it happening, they just want to slow it down slightly?
And remember, readers, that Andy Burnham is already on the record as saying that he wants the NHS to be the same across the UK.
So don’t say you weren’t warned, folks.
That’s what I call a real scare!
I’m confused by the bit about only pausing if there’s no risk to patient health or safety. WTF does that actually mean?
tweeted this earlier on today –
Its clear the argument is no longer about ‘if’ privatisation will happen, but ‘when’ for England.
We in Scotland have our own choice on the matter and we can ensure no privatisation by voting ‘yes’.
Over in the States at the moment and locals telling me that a third of their income goes on Health care. Do we really want this for Scotland where the poor die and the rich live longer?
From the BBC article: “Andy Burnham himself signed off the privatisation of Hinchingbrooke Hospital during Labour’s final year”
This was the first NHS hospital to be run by a private company. link to en.wikipedia.org
Given a private company must seek a return for their shareholders can anyone be surprised that the hospital continues to run a deficit. I guess the difference is that part of the deficit now goes to private individuals rather than the provision of healthcare.
I heard that too on R4 this morning.
He said he wanted a pause in the privatisation of the NHS as the Tories hadn’t presented to the voters in their manifesto how far they were going; eg geriatric care and heart surgery.
Remember that Labour were enthusiastic privatisers as is Andy Burnham.
Just a headline grabbing fogging the issue brainfart.
[…] « Easy does it […]
The ‘Editor’s pick’ comments on the BBC story are very revealing. They show that either there’s a desire for a privatised NHS in England, or that the BBC editor wants people to think is. Both options are equally worrying.
But they want your organs for free. (at the point of delivery) snigger.
My take on this thing this morning was well as soon as we get in we will be privatising like mad.
Yes, today gave us a great vision of what the future could hold if we decide to stick together. In addition to the privatisation of the English NHS, the English student loans system is a mess and the Tories apparently want universities to take more responsibility for the debt.
We need a spread sheet:-
Subject matter Tory…….. Labour
English NHS… Privatise… but not so fast
Austerity….. More…….. More but with a kinder face
Pensioners…. Cut heat etc but not the bus pass
Scottish NHS.. Privatise… Align with English NHS ie privatise
Scottish Water Sell for the benefit of the Treasury Whatever they said
etc
just so they know what they are going to get if they vote No
The independent claims Burnham wants to put “All new contracts between hospitals and the private sector should be (..) on hold until after next year’s general election”.
At this point one has to wonder whether Labour are simply hoping that they would then be able to sell it to their donors as opposed to the Tories selling it now to their donors.
Let’s face it the lot of them have very little family silver to sell off!
I agree with Dinnatouch above. The ‘Editors Pick’ is totally for privatisation, even though all the comments have been down-voted to oblivion. BBC – Big Brother Chooses
I was at a debate in Loganlea Miners Welfare last night, where Neil Findlay was speaking for United with Labour, and I confess that a lot of what he said made perfect sense.
However, where we part company is the method of achieving the better Scotland we all want. Neil still believes that being part of the Union is the way of achieving it. I wonder what he’s thinking privately when he sees this, or is he too blind, or too ambitious, to see it?
Maybe Jeremy Hunt and/or Andy Burnham are the BBC guest Editors for the day?
It’s another misleading BBC headline, as well. ‘Halt’ sounds far more emphatic than what the strange, waxen little man is actually saying.
Labour supporters need to assimilate one thing if nothing else – if Scotland votes No and even if Labour does win the 2015 general election, people like Burnham are not going to help us. None of them are going to help us.
Is it going to take a No vote and either a Tory victory or a bitterly disappointing Labour term of office for the dangers of continued UK membership to hit home? I hope not.
The Labour party scare me more than any other.
Can’t believe Labour are accepting of privatisation of the nhs at all. Just another reason for a massive Yes vote.
Remember that Labour started the NHS privatisation before the Tories took over and accelerated it. This tag team is intent on selling off all the family silver for their own gain. If by some fluke Miliband wins the GE and Burnham returns to cabinet, it sounds very much like devolved healthcare will be a thing of the past. Likewise the SoS veiled threats on a more prominent UK govt role in Scotland is likely to have the same impact.
Pooling and sharing – bringing our public services in line with those in Englandshire where not to put too fine a point on it, people are dying needlessly because they can’t access services or can’t afford medicines. The future isn’t bright, NHS Scotland will cease to exist if we allow this to happen.
Saw it a wee while ago.
It’s far to easy to say game changer, but…
“enter a different phase where we start talking again more about a UK-wide policy because in the end, that helps everybody.”
Even the No voter, 5 years hence, wondering why they now NEED health insurance.
Just where is the actual privatisation big biz pressure coming from, who says to Labour, sell off, monetise, profit take etc the NHS? I have never heard anyone, patient or health care pros say let’s bring in big business to our health services in Scotland or England.
Is New New Labour bringing the NHS all those famous and incredible private sector profit motivated efficiencies, thereby saving tax payers hard earned? Or, are sneaky shits like future Baron Burnham merely working under the instruction of big private health care business, doing his bit for BUPA and co, before taking a tasty seat on the board, and the Lords ofcourse, while private health cream off huge untaxed profit?
The Labour party accelerated the privatisation under Blair and brown
Labour buzz word one nation we cease to exist following a No vote its that simple the clues are all there
Someone better tell Keiza
UKOK gov propaganda machine in action again over smoothing over ConDemLab privatisation of England’s uni funding via students themselves but it’s already a £12+ billion black hole of funding for English universities and who will take the profit and who will take the loss from this big business wheeze?
link to bbc.co.uk
It’s relevant because Labour and Bliar MacFastpiearm’s project fear continually try force student fees and huge debt on Scottish HE and look how’s it working out down south.
Westminster was astounded today when the NHS(Scotland) wrote to Ed Miliband and asked for Labour to be put on hold. “All we are asking is for a slight pause, and asking labour to simply take 7 weeks down the beach will, according to everyone here, definetely help us!” said an NHS(Scotland) Spokesperson
Mr Miliband said he would have considered the matter and duly apologised but he admitted that after his party had sat back and watched the recent privatisation of Royal Mail, the letter from NHS(Scotland) sadly never arrived.
Privatising the NHS was wrong, the ‘Bedroom’ tax was wrong, the student loan increase was wrong. The Scottish Gov was right.
A Referendum and an election is coming along.
First Alistair Carmichael admits, that if a no vote is returned, an all out attack in reducing the Scottish Governments powers will be implemented. Now Andy Burnham,has set his sights on privatising the NHS, in the long term. If ever there was reason to vote yes, the saving of the NHS is it.
Student debt was discussed earlier. How many people are aware that when you file for personal bankruptcy in the USA student loan debts are NOT cleared? And the Tories do love the American way.
Supporting Labour is very bad for your health.
@bjsalba
An American friend told me a couple of years ago that she thinks this is going to be the next big crisis – far bigger than sub-prime mortgages. Even if you die, your student loan is not cleared; your heirs remain liable. (It may have been more nuanced than that, with different rules for different loan providers, but that was the general picture.)
Privatisation works if you’re very wealth off, can afford health insurance, school and uni fees. All of it’s completely fine, if you’re in the AB1’s of teamGB.
If not, then the future of Scotland is in your hands on 18th Sept.
Of course Labour and the Tories have to follow the privatisation agenda at a UK level. The UK is skint. Healthcare costs are going to escalate as it becomes a more technologically based service. To maintain the service will require investment in the big expensive machines, the advanced drugs and of course people – doctors nurses and all the others who make the service work.
So what do you do if you can’t afford it? You sell it off. You get rid of the problem. You turn it into a money making venture. The actual service delivered doesn’t really matter and it becomes just a matter of commercial reality. The net effect from a government perspective is that you get a one-off benefit to your cash flow and future generations pay for it – forever. Kind of like PFI.
In an independent Scotland, by not sending £800 per annum per head to rUK, by not paying towards HS2, by not paying for Trident and by pulling the famous “economic levers” to our advantage, we can afford to take the long view, keep the NHS as a public service, make the required investments and in the long run we will be able to provide the best service at an affordable price. Healthcare will be about caring and not about making profits.
We really need to vote Yes.
A slight pause on selling off of NHS England and hundreds of billions in debt for Englsih universities by 2044 says link to cityam.com
They need an “overhaul” BBC propaganda says, public sector sells off like this to the Coty is great but bankrupt uni’s in England will be able to-
“Universities could buy a share of the loan book, not all of it. They could also be paid for their services in part in debt.”
and
“Even a strong university like Leeds would go from having debt equivalent to about 38% of its current annual income to well over 100% within three years.”
and
“The idea is still in early stages and would also require careful design to avoid unwanted consequences – for example, the easiest way to cut loan defaults would be to admit fewer women and students from poorer families, since both groups tend to have lower lifetime earnings.”
And
“But if universities were to share some risk, the Treasury might allow them to charge more.”
Vote Yes Scotland
999. Which service do you require? Ambulance. What is your Medicare no? I don”t have Medicare. What is your credit card no? I don”t have a credit card. We are unable to offer you service at this time.
@crazycat
I was always under the impression that under Scots Law, if you die, your debts die with you and no-one is responsible for anothers debt ( unless guarantor or co-signee etc). Thinking on it now it seems rather naive but is there any truth in it?
@Jim Marshall
Thats utter nonsense!
If you dont have a credit card how are you going to be able to dial the 0898 AMBULANCE number in the first place 🙂
Just back home from Glasgow having dropped off daughter number three and two grandweans (blessed with a plethora of daughters and grandweans) At Glasgow green heard female announcer on EBC proclaim to all and sundry that she was sure that we would all be gutted (I paraphrase) that some English participant had been beaten by a Australia. Daughter No 3 and I look at each other Whit? naw we’re no. Three of her sisters are naturalised Aussies yet still Scottish (damn forinners)so we support two teams. Scotland first of course.
This take over of our Games by EBC is a bloody disgrace.
We are not going to get angry, we are going to get EVEN!
FFS
Labour? Represent the poor and the working class? In whose wildest f***ing drug induced nightmare.
That’s no Labour party I recognise.
@Jim Thomson says:29 July, 2014 at 4:52 pm:
“I’m confused by the bit about only pausing if there’s no risk to patient health or safety. WTF does that actually mean?”
Och! There’s nae confusion, Jim Lad.
It just means the Labour Members of the House of Commons, House of Lords and family, friends and Coocillors have not had enough time to get their new private Health Care companies set up yet or managed to sort out their shares in each others new Health Care companies.
So they want a pause on NHS privatisation until they catch up with the ConDems.
The situation in the US is even worse than you think. Just read this over lunch…
link to nydn.us
The guy that sits beside me at work has 2 kids in Uni and one in a local Catholic school. This costs $110K a year. Basically his life savings are being dwindled away but at least his kids are not starting life with a mortgage sized debt. And his family are the lucky ones.
@bjsalba
The same is true of UK student loans. You continue to owe them even after bankruptcy.
Scotland has no future in the union. That much is plain.
By 2019 the English won’t have an NHS. Ask yourself, are English voters going to tolerate Scotland having a publicly funded model? Would Westminster tolerate it? Hell no! They signed the UK up to TIPPS and by God Scotland will bend it’s knee to market forces.
At this stage it is difficult for me to contemplate being in the union come 2014. It makes me sick to my soul.
We are so fucked if we are still tied to this union, we really are.
On the NHS, there is zero support for any kind of privatisation among the public.
It’s clear that Westminster, the so-called ‘mother of parliaments’, is not a democratic institution. The three ‘main’ parties have stitched up the contest and have pretty much identical policies when it comes to privatisation.
Labour are still ignoring their own members and the general public when it comes to rail renationalisation – they cannot bring themselves to abandon the franchise system even after decades of evidence that it doesn’t work.
Voting No is endorsing this system, where you get no choice but to watch helplessly while essential public services are sold off cheap to City spivs. I cannot fathom why someone would vote to be governed by this corrupt institution.
In ten years or so National Insurance will be gone, there will be no public services, and our taxes will pay for nothing except interest on the debt.
Q. Why are there still No voters left in Scotland?
A. Because they are either gullible and believe MSM/BT/SLab tripe, or, they are lazy and haven’t bothered finding out what this Union will do versus what Independence offers.
NO VOTERS wake up and smell the shite!
@ desimond
Since I don’t know the answer to your question (the two estates I have dealt with were both covered by English law and had no debts anyway), I’ve looked it up.
It seems that (legally enforceable) debts – with the exception of gambling debts in Northern Ireland! – are deducted from the estate before the remainder is distributed to any heirs. The article I looked at refers in places to the law in the different parts of the UK, so when it talks about “UK law” I assume there is common practice in all the systems.
They say: “When someone dies UK law ensures that any debts that they were responsible for are settled out of their estate only. There is no law in the UK making relatives of the deceased responsible for debt, so essentially whilst a person’s estate may be used to settle debts, the buck stops there and the remaining debt is written off.
There are exceptions to this rule, and principle among those is the situation with mortgage debt and any joint debts. With joint debts and joint mortgages, upon death the sum owed is transferred in most cases into the name of the surviving debtor.”
And : “If someone dies in debt and has insufficient assets to cover any debt they were in, then their family is not responsible for settling any outstanding debt. In such circumstances the family of the deceased are advised to notify debtors of the death, and provide a death certificate as evidence that the debtor is now deceased.”
link to findlaw.co.uk
The use of “principle” in place of “principal” in the above quote is in the original, and not my mistake 🙂
galamcennalath 6.48
“A. Because they are either gullible and believe MSM/BT/SLab tripe, or, they are lazy and haven’t bothered finding out what this Union will do versus what Independence offers.”
This article explains the thinking of the naws.
link to en.wikipedia.org
Hang on I thought that NHS privatisation was scaremongering by the Yes campaign. Has anyone broke the news to Kesa, sure shell be keen to defend Tory policy and correct the scaremongering from English Labour.
link to theguardian.com
You’ve arrived Reverend, you’re in vote NO Guardian and the same Graun paragraph as not future Baroness Lamont and not future lord Darling, indirectly but maybe just one of these days papers like Graun might allow to say why that Stonehaven MSP is fat troughing scum, but that might actually be balanced reportage and these liggers are never going to do that.
“In this last round in the contest over a new polity, we must also take greater care of the polity we already have. An attack on the integrity of one side affects all of us. Who wins by demonising the other? What common good is achieved when Johann Lamont – the leader of Scottish “one-nation” Labour – talks about nationalism as a “virus”? Or when yes activists persist in linking to the sort of blogger who can describe an MSP as “fat, troughing scum”? (In response, a yes spokesman complained about Alistair Darling’s failure to apologise for comparing Alex Salmond to Kim Jong-il. And so it goes on.)”
Authors like this guy tend to ignore rather a lot to suit their vote no thesis but it is for the Gaurdian
OT – Just FFS..
link to tinyurl.com
That’s it let’s attack Scotland any way we can.
Andy Burnham and his “let’s pause” plea, because he wants to get his grubby little paws into the SCOTTISH N.H.S. before too much more privatisation down South happens.
Now we have the Torygraph making a mountain out of a cut blade of grass. Just so we are clear the person carrying the wee Scottie was NOT from Malaysia but a Scot! Still it is the Torygraph what the hell do they know about Scotland … absolutely NOTHING … except what wee Ruthie tells them that is! 😀
Watching the women 10000M race, three times the commentators have referred to the English, Scottish and Welsh athletes as the British contingent.
They just can’t help themselves.
Malaysia,
GFY
It’s true Muslims don’t understand dogs as pets but even less important O/T, it’s interesting that the Guardian vote no man Fraser Macdoanld above has no actual examples of anyone in Yes Scotland or SNP Scots.gov behaving in the really appalling way Labour in Scotland leader Johann Lamont and leader of BetterTogether flipper Darling, conduct themsleves. Flipper telling the New Stateman voting Yes makes you a “blood and soil” nazi is also strangely omitted in the Guardian too. As ever, funny that.
It’s just you Reverend:D
@ Lesley-Anne
Much as it pains me to defend the Telegraph, I read that article as a dig at the over-the-top Malaysian reaction, not as support for it in any way. I agree they could have explained about the nationality of the person carrying the dog.
@Edmund
Ah, the railways. Nowhere is the duplicity of the UK Labour Party better demonstrated.
Richard Beeching was appointed chairman of the British Transport Commission (later the British Railways Board) by the Tories in 1961. He was a pal of transport minister Ernest Marples, who had financial interests in road building.
As always, at least you know what you’re getting with the Tories.
Harold Wilson won the 1964 and 1966 general elections, but his government continued to implement the Beeching cuts for almost its entire term. Most of the closures had been enacted by the time legislation was passed, in 1968, to change the financial and social footing of the railway system.
Even this did not stop ‘petrolhead’ transport minister Richard Marsh from presiding over the closure of the Borders railway (the ‘Waverley Route’), with a fresh-faced David Steel heading London-bound in his sleeping car on the last train.
Marsh was appointed chairman of BR by the Heath government, was knighted, declared himself a Thatcherite, then ended up rewarded with the inevitable ermine.
Don’t you just love the Westminster system?
Indy_Scot says:
Watching the women 10000M race, three times the commentators have referred to the English, Scottish and Welsh athletes as the British contingent.
They just can’t help themselves.
We really do need to give the EBC a serious kicking. We really can NOT allow them to get away with this shite day after day without any repercussions. Their days are numbered. We need to take every possible opportunity and give them the most severe kicking we can. It will probably not help us much today, tomorrow or the next day but the message WILL get through. First the reporters will be unable to avoid it, then their directors and on up the chain till eventually those ignorant facists at the top of the tree in BBC Scotland get the message.
The people of Scotland do NOT want any more of your shite!
To be honest crazycat I only read as far as the bit about the wee Scottie dog being carried. That was enough for me. 😉
My Mrs has asked me to switch the games off because I keep roaring at the telly at the EBC cabal that have hijacked OUR games. I am now watching with the sound muted as I want to see the athletes as it isn’t their fault Go Team Scotland
To be fair the English commentators have an extensive repertoire. When not referring to the British contingent they talk, as they have just done in the swimming commentary, of ‘we’ and ‘us’ with reference to team England.
The BBC have made Scotland ‘furriners’ in Scotland. I wonder how Margaret Curran feels.
Could our prayers have been answered, thank you Andy.
I’ve reached the point where I’m seriously thinking of writing to my M.S.P. to complain, not just about certain aspects of the games themselves but also the behaviour of the E.B.C. I know she will not be able to do much but I might just feel a tinsy winsy little bit better. 😀
Two people I will NOT be wasting my time with are Elaine Murray myLabour M.S.P. and our pet Tory M.P., my M.P., David Mundell. I’ll just be writing to Joan McAlpine, probably after tomorrow night’s YES South Annandale meeting. I need time to kind of think through what I want to say. 😉
I was at the Commonwealth Games Target Shooting at Barry Buddon, near Carnoustie, and just before one final the ‘compere’ went through a spiel of “I see a lot of Scottish support on my side”, then turning to co-compere, “Seems to be a lot of English support on your side”.
Of course it was mixed, but he went on,” When Scotland scores (good shots) I want a big shout, and when England scores etc”.
I happened to be in the supposed English section and some Scottish supporters were waving their flag, saying, Hey Look.
Anyway, there were around 15 nationalities competing, and the final three were two Indians and an English competitor. The Indians collected Gold and Silver. The English shooter the bronze.
The BBC camerawoman spent a very long time filming a section where there was a group of English supporters, then followed the English shooter around like a puppy dog.
It was a strange to see this carried out in front of me.
O/T
Just received my copy of the Labour Scottish referendum “special”, but that’s not the interesting bit…
There was also a letter address to me personally, with a reply form with a “Freepost” address 🙂
So the question is, do I cellotape it to a brick?
Any other suggestions for objects to attach the returns form to will be gratefully received 🙂
@Turnbul
A concrete slab sounds eminently better, as Rory the Tory could use it to build his erection.
Funnily enough kendo, Sir Rannulph Fiennes was at the Gretna Structure yesterday, apparently. Yet here we are 24 hours later and there is STILL no fascinating photographs of this great occasion. 😀
OT
Folks, Jim Sillars is struggling a bit to reach his target of £50K for the Margo Mobile. Can we help him out? FB, RT, and of course if you can spare a few quid yersels…
link to indiegogo.com
This is really important. Jim is taking Margo’s Yes message into working class poor areas that are typically either generational Labour voters, or part of the missing million. There are thousands of voters he can reach with a message that this one DOES count, and that Yes is the only vote that is going to change things for the better. We need those votes – and we need those people to help reform the Labour party after a Yes.
Jim has worked fantastically hard for this campaign, he just needs a extra little help now. Let’s give his crowd funder a good hard push.
Thanks
Wallace turns up in kilt new Scottish record silver medal.Get it up ye this guy is a folk hero.Rule breaker just an absolute character. Wonder if the Brits will complain again!
Brilliant Dan Wallace.
🙂
link to pressandjournal.co.uk
@Lesley- anne
Its just a matter of time.
Question is though kendo, what comes first Christmas or completion of the great Gretna Structure? LD
@RogueCoder
Timely reminder RC, done. Salaries should be in about now.
Tweeted it too with an RT…
Nana Smith
Andy Burnham says “….desperational….”
Is he illiterate? Would “desparate” have served his purpose?
@RogueCoder
“Folks, Jim Sillars is struggling a bit to reach his target of £50K for the Margo Mobile. Can we help him out? FB, RT, and of course if you can spare a few quid yersels…”
Good call. Contributed.
Indy_Scot says:
” the commentators have referred to the English, Scottish and Welsh athletes as the British contingent. They just can’t help themselves.”
It’s not malicious, it’s just the same blend of disrespect, ignorance and arrogance they have spouted for as long as I can remember and no doubt long before that.
There is a difference now, though. We get a chance to sort it out once and for all on the 18th!
Fantastic to see all the Scottish swimmers set up a guard of honour for Danny Wallace … and THEY are all in kilts as well! 😛
Go Team Scotland 😀
When you have Baron Reid of Cardowan, formerly John Reid MP and Labour Health Secretary, as a non-executive director and special advisor to G4S Group which is currently running ambulances for the NHS in London, then you know exactly what road the Labour Party are travelling down concerning the NHS. As the Rev says it’s privatisation but apparantly a little bit slower than the Tories would have it. Instead of full privatisation by 2017, under Labour it will be completed by 2020!
Jim Marshall says:
“galamcennalath 6.48
Cognitive dissonance”
Yes, I’m aware that has been suggested a lot to explain why people choose not to face up to the facts. It is curable … with quite a lot of effort. Those who are genuinely suffering from this condition are probably beyond simple persuasion by the 18th now! They can be classed as hard-Nos.
So let’s just hope there are enough DKs and soft-Nos who are actually responsive to a little education and facts.
@Lesley-Anne
Missed Wallaces intro and race, any sign of any highlights yet or are they sanitising it?
An SNP Government in Holyrood doing well and indeed a Scottish Parliament of any sort (Independent or otherwise) really does stick in their craw…
If anything the wee Scottie was so intelligent that it knew that Malasia was going to complain and did it’s best to avert that tragedy, which in comparison to having a second of your airliners drop out of the sky is obviously far more important.
Whatever the result of the referendum the rUK government are in a win-win situation regarding the NHS. If we gain our own parliament and the NHS in England is privatised is there not the likelihood that our own NHS will become overcrowded by people south of the border taking advantage of our free service. On the other hand, if the unionists win, the UK government would privatise NHS Scotland so they are still ahead of the game.
Will this do westie? 😀
link to tinyurl.com
link to tinyurl.com
@Lesley-Anne
Aye, we’ve found a new Hero
O/T
Pics of ronnie anderson delivering the donations from Sundays PQ3 demo:
Thanks again to all who donated money and/or time on Sunday.
westie7 says:
@Lesley-Anne
Aye, we’ve found a new Hero
Just one of many westie. 😀
ronald russell
I’m not an expert on how these things work, but my understanding is that even now, if someone from one health board area receives treatment in another, money transfers to the area that provided the service. So if lots of people from rUK come to an independent Scotland to receive treatment, we will bill their NHS (or whatever remnants of it are left). If they move to Scotland, pay their taxes and contribute to our society, that’s OK as well – we need immigrants.
I don’t think this is a problem, but perhaps people who know more about these things could clarify.
Desperational?
I think he started off saying that the Yes argument was “desperate”, but realised halfway through speaking that it was rational…
Pause
Now that word does not fill me with confidence that the NHS is safe in Labours hands.
Pause
Sounds like “kick it into the long grass”.(Post election)
I was hoping a Labour MP would have a speech with terms such as “founding principles”, “Key value”, “protected at all cost” perhaps even “…rocks melting under the Sun”
When they push One Nation they don’t highlight the fact that it will be a shit Nation. Labour appear to desire one system mainly on the basis of not having to defend a priatised health system compared to a Scottish NHS free at the point of need.
How far will true socialists follow this abomination prending to be the Labour Party
Just got my electronic Sunday Herald magazine delivered electronically a few minutes ago.
Inside at amongst the hotel breaks advertisements was a wee advert for the the Herald, the Monday to Friday version.
It reads
“7 out of 10 Sunday Herald readers do not pick up a copy of the The Herald during the week.
Book an ad in next week’s Sunday Herald and connect with an additional 56,000 affluent readers.
Is that a wee sneaky announcement that The Sunday Herald now outsells the daily versions by 14,000 copies?”
Did the Sunday version not undersell the daily editions at the last published sales figures?
Just contributed to “Margo Mobile” – if you can afford contribute it’s a long way short at the moment!
Can you hold off on that till we get back into power so we can award contracts to the companies Alistair has been talking to over Dinner.?
@Brian Mchugh says: 29 July, 2014 at 7:57 pm:
“Brilliant Dan Wallace”
Aye! Brian, and the BBC do another dirty trick. When the Aussie National Anthem was played the BBC camera zoomed in on the Butcher’s Apron on the Aussie Flag instead of showing the whole flag with Southern Cross and the butcher’s Apron stuck into the corner.
It strikes me there is a sound psychological reason for these crass English attempts at put downs of everyone else while pushing England up everyone’s noses. They actually feel inferior and threatened. Why else would they bother? If they really felt superior there would be no need for the insulting and deliberate put downs of everyone else.
Perhaps we should make reference to that everywhere we get the chance. It will, if I’m right, increase their feelings of insecurity and inadequacy. Sort of too big, too broke and too bloody stupid to not demonstrate it by exposing their inferiority & insecurity to the World at large.
@Robert Peffers
You were looking for “brainless”? 😉
Re Dcanmore
I think you give Labour to much credit. They don’t want to pause privatisation for patient-centric reasons, with an end date of 2020; they want to pause it so they, Labour, can catch up with it for the personal enrichment of parasites like Reid.
All Labour politicians are in politics to make personal fortunes. You just need to look at Baron Reid of Cardowan, a Robber Baron, robbing the poor to feed the rich. And this man used to call himself a socialist!
The whole point of Westminster politics is to get a first class seat on the Gravy Train and Labour are not in First Class at the moment. It’s the Tories and the LibDems. Oh, Labour are on the Gravy Train, but not enough of them are making the big bucks like Baron Reid is.
Labour are basically saying, “Stop the Gravy Train, we want to get on!”
If there is a No vote in September, then the NHS in Scotland will be privatised and you will witness Jackie Baillie, Johann Lamont, Richard Baker, Kezia Dugdale et al catching the Clockwork Orange Gravy Train, leaving Cowcaddens, destination Directorship of Private Ambulances, Oncology, Paediatrics and Mortuary Services PLC.
Labour will be channelling extra powers to Scotland but it will be the power of personal enrichment for Labour politicians that we will be experiencing. The sick and the infirm will be the cogs driving the Labour engine that will drive up the bank balances of the Scottish Labour New Capitalists.
Get sick, feel good getting better, safe in the knowledge that you are making a Scottish Labour Politician rich.
Any Labour No supporters reading this page? I hope you are proud of Labour’s achievements and plans for the NHS. I’m sure Richard Simpson and Rhoda Grant are rubbing their hands together in glorious expectation at the thought of all those chances for Business coming their way!
Robert Peffers says:
Aye! Brian, and the BBC do another dirty trick. When the Aussie National Anthem was played the BBC camera zoomed in on the Butcher’s Apron on the Aussie Flag instead of showing the whole flag with Southern Cross and the butcher’s Apron stuck into the corner.
They have been at it for a few days now. Every time an Aussie or Kiwi wins gold, the camera zooms straight to the union flag in the top corner of their flag, barely showing a couple of southern stars. The Aussies and Kiwis should be furious about this.
Robert, Luigi… It has not gone un-noticed by me regarding the Aussie flag.
Establishment at work.
Sounds very similar to Carmichael ‘ s nonsense from yesterday.
kinda hints at conversations behind closed doors and the removal or further reduction in Scottish decision making powers. Keep up the good work stupid politicians you are now daily creating new yes voters and converts.
@Robert, Luigi & Brian
I thought it was just me, but it seems we’re all paranoid 😉
Ronnie
I hope you gave Julie Webster a big peck on the cheek on behalf of Wings when you met her at the foodbank today.
You’re doing a grand job Ronnie.
Are BBC England under contract to mention Team GB, The Home Teams, The Home Nations, The British Teams, The Rio Olympics or anything else relating to us all being one Nation.
@TD
Yes cross-board/border treatment is paid for by the patient’s home board or by other special financial arrangement from NHSS. But I don’t think this applies to primary care services – GP and prescriptions for example or for A&E treatment and if patients are resident here for more than 3 months and eligible for NHS care, the local board would fund.
I guess the risk of overloading iScotland NHS would depend on just how bad it gets in rUK. Also, whether rUK exiting EU might change entitlements in either direction.
Luigi – I think I read somewhere recently that NZ are thinking about having a referendum on whether they should get rid of the UJ on their national flag. This zooming by the Beeb, might just push them towards doing so Although NZ will possibly have their own CG coverage and therefore not aware of it.
Tried to donate to the Margo Mobile, wasn’t being offered a paypal option. Paypal really does increase donations, by far offsetting the commission that they take.
Turnbull drier,
What about a shoebox full of reeking keech with a note saying this is what will be running down Alistair Darlings leg when Alec Salmond tears him a new one on the 5th August.
Stephen.
Off topic but important
Cameron nuclear deal behind parliaments backhttp://www.theguardian.com/world/defence-and-security-blog/2014/jul/29/nuclear-weapons-us-uk-cooperation
@Mary Bruce
I agree, paypal is the convenient option.
Credit card donations are only credited to the fundraisers account up to 15 days after the indiegogo fundraiser ends.
How all those wonderful images of medal winning Scottish athletes, running around with big smiley faces, draped in saltires, must be sticking in quite a few craws over at Pacific Quay at the moment.
Sleepless nights!
Read Marcus Chown’s take on it….
link to eezypeezylemonsqeezy.wordpress.com
I lived in the USA for 10 years. I have dual nationality so I may have some insight others don’t have.
The cost of healthcare was typically heavily subsidised by employers so the employee paid a small percentage and depending on the policy, a deductible, exactly the same as if they were claiming against car insurance.
As a consequence of the Affordable Healthcare Act (known colloquially as Obama Care) pushed thru by Obama, a lot of policies have been canceled and when people go to the market to renew, they are finding their premiums double or even treble.
For example, a couple in their 40’s with no children and no previous medical history could easily see their premiums reach $1,500 or $2,000 per MONTH!
In England, the premiums will start relatively low but just like the American system, the costs will soon balloon & eventually reach levels unaffordable to most.
Obama Care though has made it a federal requirement, a bit like the BBC license fee, thus forcing people into healthcare poverty.
This is the last phase of new conservative healthcare that awaits us if we vote NO in September.
Sorry for going O/T but I think folks would like a wee update on the Gretna Structure. I say the Gretna Structure this is actually a video with Sir Rannalph Fiennes. 😀
Warning this video WILL cause choking and spluttering of food and liquids onto computer screens.
Before watching this video ensure everything that can possibly be spilt onto keyboards, spewed onto computer screens is WELL AWAY from the viewer!
link to tinyurl.com
I always feel like i’m posting links to crowdfunders when i post on Wings – but that’s usually because i never can articulate the comments to the articles half as well as some of the other contributors on here,
some of you may have seen the pictures of the toppled YES ad trailer today – it received a fair bit of damage so we are crowdfunding it’s repair : link to indiegogo.com
@Lesley-Anne
Is the stoney thingy meant to be finished this century?
Looks like its only 2 or 3 folks who are doing any work and at the rate they are chucking stanes I doubt it will be finished any time soon.
I find it all quite hilarious.
Lesley-Anne, you’re ok as Ranulf only wants a union with his Scottish brothers. And he spent 7 years in a tank with three Glaswegians possibly sticking it to Cold War Russians which must have been a hoot. Rory the Tory’s rockery for the union looks nice too or more of a patio for the stopping of democracy, Scotland style. Very odd bunch.
Lesley-Anne, you’re ok as Ranulf only wants a union with his Scottish brothers. And he spent 7 years in a tank with three Glaswegians possibly sticking it to Cold War Russians which must have been a hoot. Rory the Tory’s rockery for the union looks nice too or more of a patio for the stopping of democracy, Scotland style. Very odd bunch.
To be honest Nana I have absolutely NO idea when they expect to finish this *ahem* building, what ever the hell it is. I’ll tell you one thing that it is not … it is NOT a cairn! 😀
I’m thinking someone has hacked my e-mail cause if you go onto their Facebook page there is a picture of the human chain, AGAIN, playing pass the stane. This time however they all appear to be wearing gloves! 😀 Funny how that was one of points I raised with the Health and Safety in Dumfries and Galloway council. (They have since passed my e-mail onto the Health and Safety Executive. 😉 )
Lesley-Anne
Poor old chap Fiennes. Canny half ramble. Imagine being married to him.
The two men & a boy, working at that pace, should be done by sometime around the WW1 armistice centenary celebrations.
@Lesley-Anne
looks more like a broch…
link to virtualheb.co.uk
Aye that’s what I thought Defo. What really stuck in my craw though was his idea that it was ENGLAND that had the right to seek independence from Scotland but we had NO right to seek independence from UK. 😉
As far as the *ahem* workers are concerned they’ll need to up their game if they are to finish before Christmas I think. Carrying a couple of WEE stanes over to the *cough* structure is not exactly going to get it built up very quickly in my view. 😛
Lesley-Anne
BTW You have doubled their youchoob hit rate by linking that.
Hold on folks , don’t worry about the ‘NHS’ ,this was being handed out today.
TTIP is bad for your health
TTIP puts profits before people.
TTIP puts corporations ahead if communities.
TTIP puts deceit before democracy.
Demand David Cameron and the UK Government protect our NHS from TTIP .
Join the Campaign the peoplesNHS@gmail.com
This was being handed out , outside a Scottish hospital today. Now let’s hope that it was’nt a union handing this out or they will be complicit in the whole ‘our NHS ‘ malarkey and being just a bit misleading. As any fair minded union rep would agree, the easiest defence to protect ‘our NHS’ would be to have a written constitution , wouldn’t it?
O/T but we are all talking about him.
Daniel Wallace, what a top lad. There’s no doubting he’s a Scotsman. When he’s got a crowd, he puts on a show. A real charmer. The crowd went wild when he came out in his Kilt. A shame he couldn’ nap the Gold, but Silver is great going. Well done, lad!
The Scotsman is running with him on the front. He’s now been called ”Braveheart” by almost everyone. Pathetic how the media jumped on his Braveheart quote.
I think you may be right Nana but even then they have still not got the design and build right! 😀
Sorry Defo I had no intention of doubling their youchoob hit rate. How else can I link to it and avoid this doubling effect? 😉
Re the big pile of rocks for the union (actually rather endearing):
Ranulph, Ranulph, listen – none of the things you care about needs to change! Slioch, Rùm, Eigg – they’ll all still be there. You’re an international adventurer: why are you bothered by Scotland reclaiming her sovereignty?
X_Sticks says:
29 July, 2014 at 9:41 pm
@Robert, Luigi & Brian
I thought it was just me, but it seems we’re all paranoid
Me too! When my wife pointed it out the first time I thought it would be a one off – but no it’s everytime.
@Lesley-Anne, omg, can’t believe Sir Ranulph Fiennes is so ill informed, what a numpty and what an old bore, lol.
Was down in Carlisle this afternoon, wish I’d remembered about this and would’ve popped by for a wee laugh on my way past.
Anyhoo, must go, have to be getting on with more important indyref activities like thinking about the Battle of Bannockburn.
Great wee turn by pistol Pete Wishart on Scotland 2014 BBC 2 now.
It’s nearly over so i player, but terrific wee skit from Pete.
Aye he certainly raises a laugh or two that one doesn’t he? Mary. 😀
Whatever you do NOT forget to get your thinking cap on for Bannockburn. 😉
In case you missed my post the other day you will have a second chance this week for a wee bit of celebretisation Mary. Joanna Lumley will be *ahem* visiting the great Gretna Structure build on Thursday, AND she is apparently bringing some stones from her garden with her! 😛
@Lesley-Anne says: 29 July, 2014 at 10:01 pm:
“I say the Gretna Structure this is actually a video with Sir Rannalph Fiennes.”
Has no one bothered to tell that silly old bugger that 432 years after Bannockburn the Westminster Union Government were slaughering Scottish citizens at Cullodin and not just the fighters on the battlefield but every living thing they could find across the Highlands including women, children and babies.
Like the BBC this old bugger remembers only what is convenient to the Establishment.
Oh! what a travisty. STV on now about the lady with the YES sticker on her bag and accused of flying a YES saltire. No mention, though, about walking the woman past a Saltire with a NO in the centre and no action being taken.
Lesley-Anne –
You’d have thought they would have given Ranulph his full monker, eh? –
Sir Ranulph Twisleton-Wickham-Fiennes (I kid you not) 3rd Baronet of Banbury, formerly of Eton and the Royal Scots Greys.
Obviously an expert in the evils that we are trying to banish from our land with a Yes vote.
@Lesley-Anne –
That Fiennes video is surreally brilliant.
Those three fannies who keep wandering back and forth with stones – has none of them heard of a wheelbarrow?
And as for the man himself? It’s not so long since this toe-less wonder announced that he’d become the first English pensioner to scale Everest (or somesuch similarly boring shite). At the press conference following this mighty achievement, he was asked by a journalist for any photographic evidence that he’d actually reached the summit. I can’t locate the clip, but his answer was, roughly:
“Erm, eh, well, it was very cold and we were very high up and cameras just won’t work in such conditions.”
That must’ve really DELIGHTED the sponsors, eh? (Anyone else remember this startlingly unconvincing performance, and the embarrassing lack of follow-up to the question?)
We can only hope that such a man of derring-do and adventure does not die in his bed. He would surely prefer to be eaten by a hippopotamus, or fall into a volcano.
Thanks Lesley-Anne that was a giggle. Poor old Sir Ranulph he’s no a happy bunny is he?
As for their erection, they’ll probably (as usual) hire some navvies in to get the job done. Too embarrassing to leave uncompleted surely?
O/t
I got my ” Your Choice” booklet today from Yes Scotland! I’m voting Yes! I’ve always been SNP! Why would the YES campaign think that this is a good booklet! It’s boring! I’ve donated a lot of my hard earned cash to YES! As you can maybe see I’m not well pleased with it!
Well done DAN the man! Freedom!
Billy Kay says YES for fairer Scotland…
link to scotsman.com
The film reminded me of the Taliban commander giving an interview as his massive army filed past behind him and out of site behind a rock. Eventually the camera panned out and it was really half a dozen blokes walking in a circle round a boulder.
Besides that, Ranulph just rambles random pish.
Rory the Tory’s erection looks more to me like a giant cow-pat or maybe mammoth dung…
Dan Wallace sure made up for that poor woman getting evicted for having a yes flag.I wonder how all those Union Jacks got past security!
Like the BBC this old bugger remembers only what is convenient to the Establishment.
I think they call it selective memory Robert. There again he is over 21 so he really is suffering the onset of dementia (no insult intended to anyone suffering from or caring for someone with dementia )and has difficulty remembering much more than his *ahem* shortened name. 😉
Obviously an expert in the evils that we are trying to banish from our land with a Yes vote.
I wonder if he had a chance to visit, either before his wild ramblings to video or after, a food bank or three to see what is happening in the REAL world. Oh wait a minute he is a SIR of course he hasn’t! 😎
Those three fannies who keep wandering back and forth with stones – has none of them heard of a wheelbarrow?
Don’t be a silly Billy Ian. If they had any idea about what a wheelbarrow was far less how to use one they’d be wheeling these stones away down the road to their own homes to help build their own wee rockeries! 😀
We can only hope that such a man of derring-do and adventure does not die in his bed. He would surely prefer to be eaten by a hippopotamus, or fall into a volcano.
I guess being attacked by a Haggis is out of the question then. 😉
I think you’re right X_Sticks he is one seriously unhappy chappie. Would you believe that they have actually hired a brickie? Honest, one of our YES group was talking to him, the brickie on site last week. I think they will only be able to complete the *ahem* structure on time if they use wheelbarrows but as I mentioned above to Ian if they do that they’d probably nick off home with the stones rather than dumping them where they were *cough* needed. 😛
Paula Rose says:
Rory the Tory’s erection looks more to me like a giant cow-pat or maybe mammoth dung…
No sorry Paula you wrong there. A cow pat or dinosaur dung is DEFINITELY of more interest than this pile of old rocks! 😀
The world’s greatest living ‘explorer’, etc etc…
Aye. What-ivs…
link to telegraph.co.uk
[…] Labour finally notices (officially) that the NHS is being privatised, but they aren’t concerned about that, merely the speed Wings Over Scotland _ Easy does it […]
Watching the women 10000M race, three times the commentators have referred to the English, Scottish and Welsh athletes as the British contingent.
They just can’t help themselves
========
newsnight just finished with an item about the 1st world war when according to robert Peston “the flower of England were slaughtered ”
The guest he spoke to started using “British ” at which point Peston changed to that term .
as you say they cant help themselves
The difference fittie is that our ancestors who fought in WWI were just considered cannon fodder. However anyone from dan Suff were as Peston says “the flowers of England.”
The NHS is a big issue which resonates with everyone. It convinces many undecided I’ve spoken too (and made one definite no a very shoogly no who says he might change yet!). I’ve got lots of the NHS flyers for Seafest (but dwindling a bit!) The number mentioned on the flyer for Westminster MPs and peers who have financial interests in private medical companies is staggering.
Of course, the NO side tend to say that the NHS is a devolved issue, as if that is the end of the subject. More cuts in the budget are a certainty already, and labour have said that they would not change that. Holyrood can’t fiddle the books in the NHS’s favour any further than they do already.
The NHS here already has it’s troubles, and even as a public service it will have to change with the times. The team I belong to is working hard towards a system to provide for the ageing population. Even putting budget issues aside, the work could be in vain. Should MSPs from Westminster based parties hold a majority in future in Holyrood, they would not think for themselves, but inevitably would follow the party line to match England. Chaos and privatisation. Farewell public service.
http://www.nhsforyes.org facebook yesnhsscotland t @NHSforYES.
@ RogueCoder, 7:54pm
Re Jim Sillars appeal on Indiegogo for the “Margo Mobile”.
There are only 5 days to go and at present it is approx. 27% funded.
I can’t help feeling that they got it wrong making the first perk donation £20. It is probably off-putting to a lot of people who may well be donating for a variety of causes. It should be noted, however, that people can contribute any amount they like and ignore the perks simply by clicking on the Contribute button and changing the amount on the screen.
The “Margo Mobile” is a great idea and if you can afford a few bob, please donate via:
link to indiegogo.com
link to socialinvestigations.blogspot.co.uk
Nana smith , Thank you for posting the TTIP post and the one above.
So EU or Shengen – at least at this time we would have a choice but I still think we need a written constitution
@Richard McHarg.
I was at the same debate and wanted to ask him that very question although time was up. Findlay (who is Labour’s health spokesman) was I agree one of the better efforts I’ve seen from the No side, although that’s hardly a difficult acheivement. But I still thought his overall arguments missed the important point about Scotland’s particular problems, far to UK focused.
The Brit nats have hijacked the games. Always the same cringe worthy statements; Scots are cheering on England and the other home nations. They think we are too simple.