Our politicians are telling us that NHS spending will be protected. The more I spoke to you the more there are things you think could be cut. Hospital tourists, unnecessary procedures and managers to name but three. It strikes me as odd that waste isn’t a major election campaign. Our country is in significant financial deficit yet cuts are being tucked away as a succession of whispers and rumours. Should it not be that we demand honesty? Oh. Sorry they are politicians.
Talking of wastes of money… I asked you whether the Chilcot Inquiry was going to achieve anything. Gordon Brown’s performance was highly credible. Yet when he made statements the questioning was poor. There was no cross examination and no answers to the questions we ALL want to know. You say the reasons were there for war. What were they? Why was it the right thing to do? If you provided all the money the military asked for why did troops go into battle ill equipped? Why is unilateral action acceptable when we have the UN and the European Union? And given the cost and the perilous state of the financial position of this nation – can we afford this action? And those are just a few questions they could ask. I am no expert but what horrifies me at all of these inquiries we have is the woeful lack of incisive questioning.
Lord Ashcroft is causing the Conservatives a real problem. Yet funding across the board is a problem. Both major parties have big individual contributors who are not just donating for the sake of democracy. Similarly the unions have a vested interest. I do think it’s time we looked again as the whole system is at fault.
Texts were busy today and whilst I normally learn from those, today’s greatest comment was “Talk is cheap and money buys houses” – fabulous.
Back tomorrow from 5pm