Hannan’s anti-NHS popularity casts shadow over Lansley speech
5th October 2009
The two faces of the Conservative party on the NHS were starkly
revealed today (Monday 5th October), as anti-NHS Tory campaigner,
Daniel Hannan, leap-frogged up a list of the country’s most
influential right-wingers.
As Tory health spokesperson, Andrew Lansley was due to address
the Conservative party conference in Manchester on the NHS later
today, a Daily Telegraph survey revealed that Mr Hannan was now the
tenth most influential right-winger in the UK – a massive jump from
the 76th position last year.
Unite assistant general secretary for the public sector, Gail
Cartmail, said: "Today, Andrew Lansley has an excellent opportunity
to tell the electorate that Daniel Hannan’s distasteful views on
the NHS have no place in current Conservative policy.’
"The Conservatives can’t go into the next general election with
a two-faced policy on the health service – the British people
deserve better. They have a right to know the truth about where the
Tories stand on the NHS.
"Mr Lansley has warm words for the NHS, but Daniel Hannan has
made a career touring American TV studios telling audiences that he
wouldn’t wish the NHS on anybody. He even said that the NHS was ‘a
60 year old mistake’, which is an affront to the hard working staff
and the thousands of people who would not be alive today, but for
the NHS.
"Even David Cameron has branded Mr Hannan’s views on the NHS as
'eccentric'.
"The fact that Mr Hannan’s views are gaining ground on policy
matters – as revealed by his growing popularity in right-wing
circles – is very worrying and casts a shadow over Mr Lansley’s
speech."
ENDS
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