Labour’s mischievous hardliner Tony Benn has accused Tony Blair’s Government of abandoning the NHS while frittering away millions on fighting the war in Iraq.
His attack was made following the announcement that a hospital in Huntingdon faces closure because of crippling debts.
Barely a day goes by without a regional newspaper in East Anglia reporting on the crisis facing the NHS, including services for mental health.
Benn’s quotes are too good to cut, he doesn’t mince his words and even, indirectly, has a good word for the NHS under Maggie. Why it’s enough to make Nye Bevan turn in his grave:
“The money that has been spent on the Iraq war should have been spent on the NHS. A fraction on the money could have saved both Hinchingbrooke and Cambridgeshire’s mental health services.
“The Government is more interested in making war than it is on spending money on the NHS. It just doesn’t see spending on health as a priority.
“I am particularly concerned about cuts in mental health services.
“The population is getting older with more people living into their 70s, 80s and 90s – I should know as I am one of them – and more money is needed for them and the drugs they need which are very expensive.
“I was a strong supporter of the NHS when Nye Bevan created it before I was an MP and when I became one in 1950. I sat on the Commons benches for two years when Nye was health minister.
“He resigned because of quite small cuts in the NHS so I know what he would do in the current circumstances in Cambridgeshire.
“He would oppose the cuts and closures like me.
“You can’t say this is a betrayal of the NHS by a Labour government because it is not one. Tony Blair said quite clearly when he became leader it wasn’t the Labour Party but New Labour. He still believes that – as you could tell from his speech to the TUC conference this week. He supports privatisation and cutbacks in the NHS.
“And it’s not just the money being spent on the war in Iraq – which is a good point in itself. Even Gordon Brown has said he would spend £20 billion replacing Trident which isn’t even fighting a war but preparing for a war that is never going to happen. That is money which could be spent on the NHS.
“The fact that this hospital was completed and built under Margaret Thatcher shows what a success the NHS has become. It is ironic that doctors opposed the creation of the NHS but now at Hinchingbrooke and elsewhere they are now trying to defend it.
“We need to be expanding the NHS not cutting it back. This was one of the reasons I left the Labour Party in 1997 – because it wasn’t prepared to spend enough on the health service which has made a huge difference to many people’s lives.
“I know it is always difficult to get the money for it – Nye had to fight to get the money needed for it himself.
“But people should not be considering closing this hospital and cutting back mental health services in Cambridgeshire – I am simply opposed to this and will support any campaign to stop it.”
While not being an economist, I do realise that you can only spend a pound once. If we are having to fund a seemingly never-ending war in Iraq (does anyone know how much it has cost us?) then that money can’t be spent elsewhere.
Just a cheeky thought, could we please book Tony Benn to speak at the Conservative Party Conference……
P.S. Tony Benn obviously obviously hasn’t listened to the Government’s health warnings that smoking is bad for your health.
Update: 15 September, Tony Benn’s views are brilliantly timed after today’s splash in The Times claiming Labour wants to close hospitals without jeopardising key marginal seats. You can’t stoop much lower than that. This surely gives a new meaning to postcode lottery.
I dont think you’ll need Tony Benn, Ellee. The list of lefties invited to speak at the conference is quite something: UN deputy secretary general Mark Malloch Brown (anti-American), Rosie Boycott (leftie), Will Hutton (leftie), Liberty director Shami Chakrabarti (leftie), George Monbiot (climate change pest).
Goodness knows how some of the more traditional Conservatives, young and old, are likely to respond.
Hear, hear for Tony! I particularly agree with his comments on Trident. What a tremendous waste of money. We’ve opened Pandora’s Box in Iraq. If we stick with it, we’ll have further problems. If we pull out now, the country would descend into civil war.
Daily Pundit, that sounds quite a line-up, and yes, Tony Benn would fit in well too. I quite like Shami Chatrabarti.
The Oak Tree was a symbol of the English Republican movement.I see now its the new Conservative logo so Tony Benn would fit in well.
Though obviously Tony is very left wing, he does tell it like it is. This is better than having obvious lies told under the cover of spin.
I am surpised we see a cut back in mental health spending; surely Gordon wants to look after Blair in his retirement?
cityunslicker, good point, though we must not forget Gordon Brown has been described as “psychologically flawed” and could need these services too, so they should be investing more in this area.
I think the truth is closer to NuLabour abandons hospitals in non-Labour voting areas – as the row with Hazel Blears has shown.
I blogged a while ago about the fact that support for the NHS will fail if those who pay most of the bills get least of the benefits ( and in fact die as a result ).
The further pork barrel politicisation of the NHS will, in the medium term, lead to its dismembering and a form of national health insurance taking over.
Surrey, for example, will support an NHS which lets some of the highest taxed people in the country die in the ambulance with their heart attachs stuck in the tarffic trying to get through Woking to St Peters – for example. ( There is no chance of Guildford ever returning a Labour MP – so its no doubt on Ms Hewitts heat map ! )
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