Jeremy Hunt needs to be sacked?

[deeedeee]

I cannot begin to imagine what possessed David Cameron to give him this job. He's an utter liability. The Government need to sack him, restart negotiations and distance themselves from him asap.

Not only for the junior doctors contract debacle, or his views on abortion, but also his views on homeopathy and also his dirty doings with the Murdochs show he has absolutely no discretion. Also lying, misconstruing statistics and covering up reports. www.theguardian.com/politics/2015/mar/07/jeremy-hunt-accused-cover-up-critical-nhs-report-tory-mp

He's awful. Did you hear him squirm when interviewed ? He comes across as an ignorant and toady little man and it beggars belief that this man holds responsibility for the health of the nation!

Even Tories want him sacked www.mirror.co.uk/news/uk-news/tory-former-chief-whips-junior-7359501

[mummymeister]

yorkshapudding - and which constituency will you be standing for? Local? Europeans? parliamentary?

I get absolutely fed up of people who stand on the sidelines doing the "well you shouldn't do it that way." but aren't actually prepared to show what they can do.

Its not about daring to have an opinion. its about having the balls to do something about it rather than ranting on a website.

We get the politicians we deserve. if ordinary people aren't prepared to put themselves forward for public office then why are they continually surprised when someone else does.

[IPityThePontipines]

As an individual, I vote at every single election for a party who are not the Conservatives, support my union and sign relevant petitions. That's what I do.

As for going into politics, there definitely does need to be a big move to make careers in politics accessible to all, as opposed to Oxbridge wonks.

Those claiming the NHS is in tatters, would you like to review what happened to Huntington hospital after Circle took over?

I've worked in a private hospital. It was eye-opening and not in a good way.

Another point about Hunt, he stymied NICE's work on safe staffing levels, something which is vital for safe clinical services.

But then again, this government wanted to get rid of NICE anyway...

[yorkshapudding]

"yorkshapudding - and which constituency will you be standing for? Local? Europeans? parliamentary?"

I'm a bit busy treating sick children at the moment thanks.

[nebulae]

mummymeister some politicians are arrogant, but imagine the uproar if they described themselves as "the most resilient, driven, passionate, intelligent group of people in Britain"? Or if bankers did? Or lawyers?

Should we accept junior doctors being arrogant because we respect the work they do?

I'm not taking sides here, I don't know enough about the issue, but I'd be more inclined to support the junior doctors if they showed a bit of humility.

[mummymeister]

careers in politics are accessible. Heres the link:

www.parliament.uk/get-involved/elections/standing/

you need people to nominate and second you. then you get out and about and start campaigning for what you believe in and get people to support and vote for you. You don't have to belong to a party or be part of a big party machine. you can just have your own ideas which if popular enough people will vote for you.

what an eyeopener it would be for some of the posters on MN if they actually went out and doorstepped people.

Another Martin Bell anyone?

[longtimelurking]

People are going after Hunt as the man but this is a mistake as they are failing to see that even if he is removed things wont change....... he is pushing through desired Tory policy will the full support of the PM and his party.

We are stuck with this shit for another 4.5 years and unless Labour get their act together they will have completed the destruction of the NHS and many other public services well before the next general election.

[mummymeister]

I'm a bit busy treating sick children at the moment thanks

not patients but children. Clearly you aren't because you are posting on here.

I am busy too yorksha. its not the preserve of people in the nhs. but I still find time to be an independent town councillor because I didn't like the decisions my council kept making on planning apps, toilets, etc.

[longtimelurking]

And much of the Labour party, the so called moderate wing, would implement very similar policies - just look at what Blair/Brown did with PFI and increasing the internal market bullshit.

[Varya]

In common with many ministers and MPs, they talk a lot of BS.

[mummymeister]

I am not castigating. I am just saying that my local council did stuff that got right on my nerves so I spent months whinging about it and bugger all changed.

so I got off my arse and now I do get a say. outvoted some of the time, sure, but at least I am trying to do my bit.

you on the other hand are quite happy to moan about the job someone is doing but not at all interested in doing something positive about it.

so go on Voyage. carry on moaning (in between treating sick children of course) and I guarantee you bugger all will change.

stand up and be the next Martin Bell and people might actually vote for you and change might actually happen.

Politics isn't some mysterious woo woo job. if you can be bothered to take part then you can make a difference.

I am an insignificant town councillor in the arse end of nowhere with a budget less than your annual salary. I don't for one minute think that what I do is the least bit vital but sometimes we do do things that make a difference.

[yorkshapudding]

"not patients but children. Clearly you aren't because you are posting on here."

Not sure what point you are making. I prefer to think of the children and young people I work with as individuals not just "patients" but not sure why that's relevent.

Yes, you've caught me out, here I am wantonly posting on MN on my day off (in between catching up on work admin and looking after my child) when I could be selflessly serving my community every waking minute like yourself

So you're a local councillor, good for you, that doesn't mean that people who don't want to do the same are less entitled to express an opinion and don't have the right to disagree with the actions of their elected representatives. When people on MN criticise the NHS I don't start demanding to know "so where will you be studying medicine? Why haven't you applied to be chief executive of your local NHS Trust?? What are you doing about it??" That's a ridiculous attitude.

[Babycham1979]

Hunt should resign, but it will make no difference who the Health Secretary is. The strategy has been written by Oliver Letwin and his cabal of neocon advisers; whichever patsy they install as Health Sec will be delivering the same programme.

There really should be a referendum on the NHS to finish this once and for all. The sad irony is that (regardless of the loss of equal access), private healthcare will cost us all more!

Also, as has happened with rail privatisation and train drivers, fragmentation will drive wages up not down, providers have to compete for a diminishing trained workforce.

It's ideologically-driven madness and I can only assume their commitment to this lunacy is bolstered by the personal enrichment the likes of United Health have privately promised them at the end of it.

[GruntledOne]

So should every junior doctor go into politics? Mightn't that cause one or two problems with the NHS all by itself?

[ABetaDad1]

My DW just told me to stand as a town councillor. I have the time, the skills, the knowledge.

Problem is the local big party hierarchy make it impossible to stand for a seat without being the 'right' person who is already pre-selected. Good people almost never get elected.