Comment
Jeremy Hunt has a history of attempted cockiness on Twitter ending badly. First he tried crowing over his NHS performance and was ‘owned’ by an NHS doctor who posted a series of factual tweets that shows Hunt to be talking from an alternative orifice. That lesson went viral on social media.
Then he tried it with actor Ralf Little over mental health and received a similar schooling – and is still ducking Little’s challenge to debate the issue in a live broadcast.
You’d think that he’d know better than to attempt anything of the sort on a day when another huge – possibly the hugest on record – NHS winter crisis is a main feature on every news broadcast and front page.
Unless, of course, you know anything about him.
Sure enough, Hunt decided this morning would be a good time to respond with a jibe at Labour’s supposed ‘winter crises’ of the past:
This triggered howls of outrage from anyone who actually works in the NHS and knows what they are talking about, for example this well known medic and NHS campaigner:
But the full ‘ownage’ began with a succinct tweet by a blogging doctor that showed in one simple picture Hunt’s foolishness in choosing to take on Labour’s performance record during winter or any other season:
You don’t have to be a Blair fan – and we’re not – to recognise that the NHS under Labour was in a far healthier condition than since the Tories got their hands on it. The graph shows the dramatic reduction in A&E delays starting from the beginning of a major Labour NHS investment programme – then them being kept low for the duration of the Labour government.
Followed by a rapid climb as soon as the Tories got back into government – to even worse levels than before Labour fixed the problem.
The sharp-eyed spotted that this amounted to an admission by Hunt of something that he had attempted to deny just yesterday – that the NHS is in crisis:
But the tack was an obvious, all-round ‘fail’ for the Health Secretary – and it received an appropriate reception from social media users:
— Pete Deveson (@PeteDeveson) January 4, 2018
The thread is growing rapidly as more and more derision is heaped on the weak and shifty Health Secretary.
Hunt has struggled to appear remotely credible even in the controlled setting of a quiet room with a gentle interviewer – but his forays into social media have resulted in such severe ‘burns’ that he may well need the attention of one of the Accident and Emergency units he has driven into such under-resourced chaos.
If so it will be a safe bet that he’ll be waiting a lot more than four hours for treatment – more likely outdoors than in a corridor or broom cupboard.
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Hunt, yes, I said Hunt, is just another Tory liar but he does make me laugh! He’s attacking Blair but hasn’t anybody mentioned to him that Blair’s on his side! For me, Hunt’s just a Tory idiot calling a Tory Lite idiot a ‘fuck up’! Well, we all know that, except, of course for the Tory Lites in the PLP and the rest of the Labour Party! Let’s put some Red between all these Tory types, no matter what Party Flag they falsely fly under and kick the lot of them into touch!
Good post from Richard Murphy’s Tax Research UK 3rd Jan,The NHS is a threat to the neoliberals. He includes a quotation from the 1988 Centre for Policy Studies paper by Oliver Letwin and John Redwood which makes perfectly clear the roots and nature of this government’s policy. The goals, they wrote, would be 1 Establishment of the NHS as an independent trust; 2 Increased use of joint ventures between the NHS and private sectors; 3 Extending the principle of charging; 4 A system of ‘health credits’; 5 A national health insurance scheme. Murphy goes on to say:”Looking at the NHS in England it is clear that the first and second goals have largely been achieved and are now deeply embedded within its structures. In social care charging is similarly profoundly embedded. So too is the concept of a ‘health credit’ becoming more commonplace in some aspects of NHS service. That said, whilst it is still appropriate to note that options three and four are far from complete, it is not unfair to say that they are works in progress. In that case the concern that an insurance system remains the direction of travel, as expressed by Professor Stephen Hawking, appears to be entirely realistic in the circumstances. The neoliberal assault on the NHS is very real”. This cannot be said often and loud enough.
Could you post a link?
Jeremy Hunt drops a clanger video, where he admits that ACO, (Accountable care organisations) will be based on the same principles as the American HMOs (Hospital Management Organisations). He has also admitted he has been in dicussions with Kaiser Permente’ although he puts it, “getting advice from”.
I think have the relevant link to Murphy’s blog post to hand, don’t mean to butt in.
http://www.taxresearch.org.uk/Blog/2018/01/03/the-threat-to-the-nhs/
http://www.taxresearch.org.uk/Blog/2018/01/03/the-threat-to-the-nhs/
Hunt is really just earning himself a guaranteed promotion as this is what the Tories do. They often bring back those who have had to leave as they think the public forgets. Jobs for the boys and girls after their survival funds start to drop etc. Hunt has only had one job, made an ever ongoing cock up of it, Yes they need more money but that is only part of it and they need to get a grip of various areas before they can be trusted with more money. Hunt has probably more than sown the seeds for USA style administration – as again this is what Tory’s do- they organise things where they can pay big money to their friends or people they have interests in- be it financial or long term over paid positions on promise. May will look after her cocky boy- watch. What we have to do is make sure he never gets near the PM’s job as we have all seen the result of his abilities.
What skeletons does he know about to avoid getting sacked?
I know how to build a guillotine if anybody’s interested?
This is all Faux News from Mr Hunt. This crisis is exactly what he wants. He has sold large chunks of NHS to Virgin – you know the one where Richard Branson got a very large handout from Surrey Hospitals because he wasn’t given a contract; Mr Branson whose company has never paid tax!!! Let that just sink in. Richard J Murphy (brilliant blog Tax Research which I recommend to everyone who cares about tax) shows just how Virgin escapes paying any UK tax. Having taking millions from Surrey he is then awarded £bill + contract from Mr Hunt.
Mr Hunt is hell bent of privatization of the NHS and there is nothing like a crisis to push that agenda onwards. No care for Joe UK unless you can pay for it; All NHS care in hands of unscrupulous multinational companies who don’t give a stuff about patient care.
Tell you a story about a lady who went in a Virgin Clinic and turned away by Virgin receptionist as “not that sick!” She died of organ failure. The inquest said she should have been sent to hospital immediately. The receptionist was previously a mortgage adviser!!! This is what awaits us all. http://www.mirror.co.uk/news/uk-news/woman-who-vomited-gp-reception-6504517
Virgin has also just taken over Children’s health care in Lancashire. Oh yes where there is money to be made Mr Branson will be there!!! Of course he is not only one taking over our lives: ATOS (yes it is still active) Serco, Circle, G4S all involved – unaccountable leeches of tax payer’s money.
Time to take this “crisis” seriously as Mr Hunt does in terms of privatisation. Make no mistake that is his and this govt. end game!!!
This is link to Richard J Murphy’s Tax Research Blog http://www.taxresearch.org.uk/Blog/ He is also on Twitter. Brilliant man deserves a lot of credit for highlighting gaps in how tax payer’s money is being spent. Cannot recommend him enough.
Mr. Murphy’s very well worth reading. If you haven’t found a link:
http://www.taxresearch.org.uk/Blog/2018/01/03/the-threat-to-the-nhs/
Maria is right. It’s on Murphy’s Tax Research UK 2 blog.
Hunt is not stupid he is an accomplished class warrior an expert liar the facts are clear our share of GDP invested in Health Care is one of the developed worlds lowest we get what he decides we pay for.