Rushanara Ali MP (Bethnal Green & Bow) spoke at the Save Our Surgeries demonstration, but seems to have put the head of Labour Group Leader Cllr Rachael Saunders on her shoulder for the occasion. Perhaps they are performing their impression of Zaphod Beeblebrox, from the Hitchikers’ Guide to the Galaxy…
Rushanara gave a spirited speech about how important the NHS is to her constituents and how we must turn back the Coalition’s cuts in GP funding. Fine sentiments: but they do have a somewhat hollow ring to them. The last Labour Government had 13 years to protect the NHS and although it did channel fairly substantial funding to the NHS, it stood by the principle of running the NHS on market principles, laying the foundations for the Coalition to take matters one step further. Labour in opposition has opposed Tory/Lib-Dem attacks on the NHS, but it has pretty much restricted itself to parliamentary opposition and has not joined with users and trade unions to mount an effective extra-parliamentary campaign.
SPOT THE DIFFERENCE?