The journalism at the Guardian these days is more than
first class. It’s outstanding. Bringing us the Snowden revelations about the
disgrace of our Secret State, and now the horror of the covert Met Police operation
against the Lawrences. Amusing to know that there are snoops out there who are
even now reading my Blog. Will be good for them. Indeed it is not the first
time I have been snooped on.
I discovered some years back, from the memoirs of a
former spy for BOSS that they had been watching me!
In the 70s I was the Secretary of the Medway Town's
Amnesty International Group (my very first third sector job; and as a volunteer
to boot!). We were active in supporting the "Pietermaritzburg 13"
imprisoned on Robben Island. I knew and supported a number of their relatives
who had fled to the UK, and obviously harried the wretched apartheid regime. I
regard this as a badge of honour. Good luck to Edward Snowden who has shown
courage in revealing just how far snooping has gone.
When you have an over powerful State ready to spy on all
of us, having intrepid journalism is ever more essential.
And whilst on the subject of newspapers, the story about
the BMA in the Times is a hoot. So these guys think that competition is
unacceptable but they are happy to see us all paying charges for health care.
One of the core points made in the report of the group I chaired on “choice and
competition" was that the core principle of the NHS; that it is a free and
universal service will be undermined if we don't accept that greater choice and
competition will help ensure better use of scarce resources. So don't be fooled
by the BMA; they have demonstrated their true colours. They don't believe in a
free NHS. This is the underlying principle of the 1948 reforms. Let's defend
that to the hilt. Ironic that an organisation that represents the private
Sector (doctors are not public sector employees but self employed contractors)
has such a bizarre view. There is in fact nothing wrong with doctors as private
contractors. The BMA needs to stop this campaign on charging now.
End of rants!
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