With more industrial action by hospital doctors imminent - it’s happening this week - Jeremy Hunt (the former Culture Secretary) appeared before the host’s inquisition on The Andy Marr Show (tm) this morning to explain to viewers why he is right, and all those doctors are wrong. It is fair to say that Hunt’s latest campaign to put forward the Government’s position did not develop necessarily to his advantage.
Not even a little bit swivel-eyed, honestly
Hunt had already found it necessary to misquote a paper by Bruce Keogh, Medical Director of NHS England: as the Mirror has told, he already has form here. “The Health Secretary was under fire over his claim that 11,000 more people die in hospital at weekends because staffing levels are lower … But today, Mr Hunt twice tried to back up his claim by again misquoting Sir Bruce's paper”.
Hunt told Marr “He actually said that it would be rash and misleading to say you could avoid every single one of those deaths”, but as the Mirror showed, “Sir Bruce did not use the words ‘every single one’, nor did he specify whether any of the deaths could be put down to reduced weekend staffing … In fact, the paper reads: ‘It is not possible to ascertain the extent to which these excess deaths may be preventable, to assume that they are avoidable would be rash and misleading’”.
He might have thought he had got away with that, but worse was to come, and the Independent, after reminding readers “He asserted that doctors were set to get more money and would actually be working fewer hours, despite the fact that they will be asked to cover more weekend shifts while the premium they are paid for working those shifts is reduced”, observed that Marr then caused the Health Secretary some discomfort.
“Andrew Marr changed tack, opting instead to read out some of the letters the programme has received from junior doctors around the country … This is what they are saying … Jane Jenyon from Hereford says: ‘The profession is at absolute breaking point. I see doctors in tears because they are so despairing about what the future holds … Jeremy Hunt has done this. He is driving away a whole generation of doctors”.
Hunt was momentarily moved. But it was not his fault: he blustered about “the totally irresponsible way the BMA has behaved”. He blamed the rotten media, which is a bit rich, considering most papers - the vast majority by circulation - has backed Hunt and ritually slagged off the doctors. He then suggested that Marr and the viewers “look over there” at all those patients who, by his definition, would be put in harm’s way by the action.
He even managed to suggest that Marr himself was wrong. But he, Jeremy Hunt, was right. At that point, the thought entered that he was the last person who should be put in charge of anything that requires sensitivity and readiness to yield a little - like negotiation over changes to doctors’ contracts.
There may even be those who are convinced that James Naughtie, and Marr himself, were right when they mispronounced Hunt’s name when he was Culture Secretary. That’s a case of “they might wish to think that - I couldn’t possibly comment”.
I'm not a fan of Marr but, to his credit, he did ask Hunt some strong questions. Like a rabbit in the headlights, Hunt was flummoxed. He blamed everyone else and then compared himself to Nye Bevan.
ReplyDeleteLaughable if it wasn't so serious.
Hunt, like all tories and New Labour, shouldn't be in charge of anything to do with fairness in society.
ReplyDeleteOn the issue of weekend deaths Hunt is a liar. And if he wishes to see me in court I'll be absolutely fucking delighted to get right in his face on the issue.
But I think many people miss what meffs like Hunt are really up to. His brief is to provoke industrial action, follow it up with lies and propaganda, and then imply (never said outright you understand) that the "solution" to the NHS problems is more gradual privatisation, then complete privatisation along Yank lines (that is......pay up, go bankrupt, or die). The tories and New Labour have done exactly that to further education.
The BMA, NHS doctors and all NHS staff at every level are all heroes.
By comparison, people like Hunt and the present government stink out the place: He's a liar and a charlatan bent on stealing everything worthwhile this country built up in the previous half century. All we need from them now is the same shit of "family values" peddle by adulterous hypocrites like Seesil Parkinson and the other crooks.
I hope the BMA have the determination to stand up against Hunt. Like all cowards and bullies he'll fold if enough honest people organise and fight for what's right. I hope him and his type rot in hell.
I'm surprised that Hunt didn't try to blame Corbyn and parrot the "security" and "hi wage, low welfare" meme.
ReplyDeleteIts becoming almost comical the linguistic gymnastics that are having to be done to get a not very well thought out sound-bite into any and all conversations, no matter how unrelated to the issue or questions asked.
The DWP is the absolute master at saying nothing but the prevailing ideology, while failing to answer any question no matter how specific, or generic...
To be honest its all becoming quite irksome.
"hows the weather today?"
"due to our long term economic plan and Corbyn being a threat to our security we are creating a high wage low welfare economy"
Like seriously... STFU and answer the question you moronic imbecilic Hunt.
Of course, given who he was actually working for while serving as the oxymoron that is the Bullingdon Club's Culture Secretary, Jeremy knows all about misinformation. No doubt the misreading of Keogh was down to a spad who has since been duly chastised.
ReplyDelete