Why are you dreading a Tory government?

[Swedes]

Social mobility under Labour has fallen to the levels experienced in the 1950s. That means if you are born poor, you remain poor and if you are born wealthy, you stay wealthy.

I heard this morning on R4 that the NHS is experiencing the worst funding crisis in its history.

I could go on but I'm sure you get my drift.
Labour have had over a decade to fulfill their promise that "things can only get better". It's time for a change.

Can you please give me a few good reasons why Labour should remain in office?

Someguy - PFI and PPP in all their forms, independent sector treatment centres, compulsory competitive tendering and management consultancy in health have been a disaster, costing us far more than if the government had just borrowed the money itself. Something like £65m in legal costs just on ISTCs! (The companies involved get paid whether or not they actually treat any patients - madness.)

BUT that's because Blair and Brown were scared to be Labour. PFI/PPP were designed to a. get borrowing off government books so they could avoid charges of being old Labour tax n spend and b. so they could witter on about involving the private sector, sharing risk (hah!) and efficiency.

Fact is, the NHS was starved of investment for two decades under the Tories. Major forced NHS hospitals to cut their budgets by 3% every year.

A lot of the extra spending since '97 has just been used to fill the potholes left by that approach.

And people may argue that the NHS is expensive, but the US system is far more expensive and inefficient. Wastes an awful lot of money on admin, shuffling the figures around and encourages doctors to duplicate tests and order unnecessary tests and procedures just so they can bill.

Peachy - I'm sorry you are an out of luck sort.

I'm 45 and old enough to remember the 70s. Power cuts, 3 day week etc, super-tax. It was grim grim grim. The 80s were marvellous in comparison.

Peachy - VV Sorry I meant

Swedes, you do know that the 3 day week was introduced by Ted Heath's Tory government, don't you?

SomeGuy, Dr Crippen is one of my daily reads, his blog is excellent.

(I also like his take on ME and really wish I had the courage to print and send it to my DLA-scamming aunt!)

Heath inherited a mess. Cameron will inherit a mess. That's the way it goes. FWIW I don't think the UK would have escaped the current financial problems whatever govt had been in power (unless perhaps it had been entirely Vince Cable clones).

Investing in the NHS should have been a good thing but it sounds like it was poorly done - on R4 they were saying that the managers had to spend a lot of the money too quickly.

I don't see the next Tory govt dismantling the NHS - not under Cameron. Thanks to poor Ivan, he seems to have more genuine understanding of the necessity of it than most.

MRC - I see your 3 day week and raise you a winter of discontent. In all fairness, the 3 day week was caused by the trades unions but I agree imposed by the Tories, who had little choice.

God Swrdes dont be silly!

We are low on some forms of luck- even the NT ds2 is on the SEN reg now - but hec we're happy.

That wouldn't be the case if we were any worse off though, as IME poverty (ie cant meet basic bills- my definition) breeds unhapiness. Once i;m over that level we're OK (and lucky that we dont owe anything)

I can't recall if its here or at home but the Tories have already said they willcdut a social fund if they get in as they 'don't like how it is administered'

Then change trhe admin instead of stuffing a lot of small community groups!

Oh a lot of fuss over a wee lack of electricity and some uncollected bins!

TBH, I agree that the unions were too powerful and that the country was at their mercy. Even today we see London held to ransom because tube drivers think they don't eearn enough. Having companies like British Leyland under government ownership was ridiculous and unproductive.

However, thanks to the late John Smith who incidently would have made an outstanding PM the Labour Party of now is not the LP of the 70s. Trouble is, I despite the 'caring Conservatives' slogan I see no change whatsoever in the ethics of the Tories. Just a lack of empathy and compassion.

That was me. I'd just changed my NN to buy something on the for sale boards (as I'd have to give name &address) and it was already gone. Oh well.

Not sure why you think Labour were scared to be Labour. They had a massive majority, lots of goodwill, they could have put forward a radical agenda if they wanted. They are a spent force now, but the horizons in 1997 were wide and they blew it.

I'm not.

You can read what he thinks here:

(scroll down, there are quite a few posts)
nhsblogdoc.blogspot.com/search/label/myalgic%20encephalomyelitis

Because I am a lone parent and I work part time adn earn well below the average national income.

So a tory govt will attack my standards of living.

Riven my understanding is that he thinks many people self-diagnose for various reasons. Certainly my aunt did - read a magazine article about ME in the 80's and has done sod-all since, unless it's something she wants to do. Smokes 60 a day as well and has absolutely no interest in finding out about the latest research, possible cures, other people's experience, all of which can be found on the internet. As long as she has my entire family running errands for her and can go out only when there's a lunch or party or celebration she's just dandy. I often call round and have never once seen her unwell.

I've met genuine sufferers too, my comment was hurried and I apologise if it has caused any offence.

As for the Tories I'm totally with you. My best friend was the child of a single parent and when we were growing up she was poor, really poor. She stood out, and no child should have to live like that

Same here too! Spam and homemade chips for tea!

Still, according to Norman it had nothing to do with the government it was all because we wouldn't, 'get on our bikes!'

Do you honestly think David Cameron would have been interested in the NHS if he hadn't had a disabled son?

Whilst I genuinely have every sympathy with him over the death of his son, it is because of his son he has been forced to see how the NHS works.

Frankly I think we may never see another Labour Govt again.

After the General Election, I predict a merger of the rump of Labour and the LibDems the effetive re-emergence of the old Tory v Whig two party system of the 1800s with nationalist governments in Ireland, Wales and Scotland.