I write from the South West after watching Question Time coming from Southampton last week, and the issue of the NHS was once again debated.

The question was prompted by Boris Johnson being accosted by the father of an ill child while touring Whipps Cross Hospital, a man who turned out to be a Labour Party activist, but the point this father made was spot on, Boris Johnson was indeed seeking a photo opportunity to try and fool the masses into believing he and his party care about the NHS, because the Tory right wing are ideologically opposed to the concept of the NHS, and always have been.

This is why the NHS is being crassly underfunded by the Tories to pave the way for privatisation, which is happening at the moment care of Tory Minister Matthew Hancock.

According to the OECD ( Organisation for Economic Development ), British Government’s use much less of our Gross National Product ( GNP ) as investment into Britain’s vital services, including our NHS, than Western European companies invest into their vital services..

I listened to the panel talking, and neither the Lib Dem panellist, or the Labour party panellist stated this fact. They were both very politically correct, and this seems to be the status quo these days. Labour representatives on the Question Time panel never stand to being counted on what this right wing Tory Government are really doing, that the Tories have ended the post war consensus where the State played a vital role re- investment and subsidy into all our vital services, this was the glue that bound us together as a nation following WW2 by then Socialist Labour Government.

Another very serious problem we have in this country is that largely the British are not a politically educated nation, in my view the vast majority are neither interested in politics, or motivated by politics, and the audience in this Question Time edition were no exception to the rule, this is the main reason the Tories have got away with so much since the 80’s and the Thatcher era when Tory privatisations began with the privatisation of our Utilities, and Royal Mail.

The only person on the panel with the courage to state the obvious was Left-wing activist, journalist and Jeremy Corbyn supporter Ash Sarkar who gave a powerful speech on austerity during her appearance on Question Time.

Speaking to presenter Fiona Bruce, Sarkar responded to a comment from Liberal Democrats Deputy Leader Ed Davey, saying:

“Austerity was not just a bloodless balancing of the books, it was paid for with people’s live 120,000 people.

And the reason I think that this gentleman was so angry, is because those of us who rely on public services, whether that's the NHS, whether it's the education system, whether it's benefits, have had to endure suffering for a decade while we've had the same line repeated by Tory MP's about ending the deficit, and how tough choices there are to be made. You didn't have to pay for those choices the way ordinary people did!

Ash Sarkar hit the nail right on the head, except for one thing, the public are still suffering, and the NHS is still being privatised.

Tory austerity was never about economics, it was always an ideological attack on the State and everything the State funds care of income tax paid by British workers after decades of funding into the system expecting services to be fully funded.

If any of your readers wish to take issue with my comments, they can email me at michaelthompson533@btinternet.com

Michael Thompson

Brixham