Gordon Brown Speech At Kings Fund

Having unpicked David Cameron's speech earlier today, it is only fair that I have a look at Gordon Brown's speech.

"In 1997 I had to cut public expenditure to reduce our debt." is a dubious claim when it is generally acknowledged that Britain's debt was reducing as a result of measures taken by Ken Clarke as Chancellor of the Exchequer; but we will leave that to one side for the moment. What is undeniable is that on Gordon Brown becoming Prime Minister Britain's official government debt stood at 47 percent of GDP. By the end of 2011, it will stand at 94 per cent, exactly double. (Figures from the OECD, World Economic Outlook, here Annexe Table 32). 

 

(Courtesy Burning Our Money)

It should also be borne in mind that the figures quoted above do not include items such as PFI and public sector pensions, two items which virtually double the total, neither does it include the heaven knows how many £trillions which were 'loaned' to the banks. In view of that Gordon Brown's boast, if it is true, that he cut public expenditure pales into insignificance!

"To make the most of these resources the NHS will have to become more cost effective in its use of money" meaning that at present the NHS is not 'cost effective'. And who, exactly, created the conditions by which the NHS will have to become more cost effective?

"So we must push forward with new and ever more stretching guarantees to secure for every family the right to get the best possible personalised health care when and where they need it." and we are supposed to rely on these 'guarantees'? The way we relied on your 'guarantees' that we would have a referendum on the Lisbon Treaty? The way we relied on your guarantees that entertainment venues such as pubs would be allowed to choose whether they catered for smoking or non-smoking clients? And how Gordon Brown loves guarantees - we have the Waiting Time Guarantee, the GP Access Guarantee, the Health Check Guarantee - like so many others the only guarantee from Gordon Brown I am interested in is the one that he won't give: that he will just p'off!

"......when a frail patient with a simple infection who can be treated at home by her GP has to be admitted to hospital because a few days of simple nursing, rehabilitation, and social care is not available at home. And too often, that hospital admission may mean she will never see her home again, but go from hospital direct to a care home." A tad sexist if I may say so - why is the 'frail patient' female? Then again, in 1997 the Labour Party manifesto stated "There can be no return to top-down management......." which is another broken promise, but I digress. "Labour will retain the lead role for primary care but remove the disadvantages that have come from the present system. GPs and nurses will take the lead in combining together locally to plan local health services more efficiently for all the patients in their area. This will enable all GPs in an area to bring their combined strength to bear upon individual hospitals to secure higher standards of patient provision". Is not the ability to provide a few days of simple nursing, rehabilitiation and social care not part of planning local health services for all patients in their area? So again, after 13 years, another broken promise.

And Gordon Brown wants another 5 years to continue wrecking our country, its public services and the quality of life of the inhabitants? Think again, Gordon - it ain't going to happen!

Afterthought: Bloody hell, just seen what is 'waiting in the wings'!