17th August 2009
CALL FOR TORY SACKING AFTER NHS ATTACK
Local Labour Parliamentary Candidate Donna Hutton has called for a Tory Member of the European Parliament (MEP) to be sacked to prove Conservative loyalty to the Health Service.
“Labour’s creation of the National Health Service after the Second World War was fought tooth and nail by the Tories”, said Ms Hutton, “and David Cameron tries not to talk about the NHS as he knows there is deep hostility towards it within his ranks.
“Daniel Hannan, the MEP who went on American TV last week to rubbish our NHS, is not the only one – he was immediately backed by fellow Tory MEP Roger Helmer and many senior Tory MPs would privately agree with his comments.
Ms Hutton continued, “Most people who use the NHS or work in the NHS will have been horrified by what he said to the American people: that our National Health Service was a ‘mistake’ and that he ‘wouldn't wish it on anybody’.
“But this is not some maverick sounding off. A few months ago David Cameron described Hannan, who has a large following, as ‘brilliant' and has now given him just a friendly verbal ‘cuff’.
“This adds up to the impression that Cameron and many other Tories were actually quite comfortable with Mr Hannan’s remarks. But there are more signs:
- An invitation to Conservative Party Conference for a group called the ‘Atlantic Bridge’, a Board member of which has praised Mr Hannan for rubbishing our NHS.
- Mr Hannan does not just dislike the NHS, he went out of his way to talk it down and misrepresent it publicly on American TV, and yet he still has his job.
- The right-wing ‘Cornerstone Group’, which has many Shadow Ministers as members, published a report describing the NHS as ‘Stalinist’ and calling for it to be replaced.
“So David Cameron’s alleged support for the NHS is going to fool no-one. He could show he is really serious by ordering Shadow Ministers to resign from the Cornerstone Group and by withdrawing the whip from Daniel Hannan MEP.
“But Mr Cameron will not do these things, as he knows opposition to the NHS remains at the heart of the Conservative Party,” concluded Ms Hutton.
ENDS.