Ken Livingstone opposes the "privatisation" of the NHS but is happy to use private healthcare himself

[longfingernails]

www.cityam.com/latest-news/ken-admits-he-uses-private-healthcare

I have absolutely no problem with him using private healthcare. Once again, it is the sheer hypocrisy which is so nauseating.

It's the same with the £260 taxpayer-funded shoes on expenses, the homophobic dog-whistling, supporting supporters of FGM, and the tax-avoiding via Silveta Ltd.

When you say 'basic', how basic?

I don't think you know what you think about healthcare.

& Ken can have private healthcare if he likes afaic; totally compatible with opposing the privatisation of the NHS.

ravenAK It is "basic" right now, in the sense that the NICE refuses to pay for many cancer drugs and other cutting-edge treatment. We will always have NHS rationing.

Of course we will - there'll always be a balance between what we want for ourselves & our families & how much taxation we're willing to accept to pay for it.

I'm curious to know just how 'basic' a service you're advocating.

Sorry - I do not see what is wrong with non-government organisations providing healthcare that is paid for by the state - why does the state owning things make such a difference.
Was surprised by the recent programme on the 70's that Lunn Poly and Thomas Cook were the only travel agents in the country in 1970 and owned by the government - was that the best thing?

Well, under Labour NHS spending increased about 3 fold - more if you include PFI - and the outcomes certainly didn't increase by a factor of 3.

That's a figure you'd need to verify before I accepted it, & it's certainly not the point.

I think the NHS improved massively under Labour - but I'm prepared to argue the point - I don't think there's much doubt that it's being seriously damaged by the Tories, but again, it's open to debate.

You haven't answered the question though, so I'll repeat it.

'I'm curious to know just how 'basic' a service you're advocating.'

What sort of healthcare would you like to see being provided to all of us, free at the point of delivery?

labour actually brought in many measures that increased the use of private facilities within the NHS (some very costly and ineffective eg paying for operations in advance, then only getting a 25% take up...essentially handing cash to the private sector for nothing)

irrelevant though...

red ken is free to go private if he chooses. if he criticises anyone else for doing so (and he might) then he deserves criticism.

Thats the most stupid bit of none news I've ever read in my life. and it didn't even come from the Daily Fail, they must be kicking themselves over that.

In other news, Hard working family man in "the benefit system is a good idea actually" shocker!.