Wednesday 22 May 2013

Letter 107: Though Dave says NHS is safe in his hands, he made no promises about your confidential records...

"Dear Dave,
Is nothing sacred?
I don't recall giving consent for my confidential NHS records to be sold to private healthcare companies. When did you ask me for it?
You'll be telling me next that private companies will be making their shareholders richer on the back of blood donation... Oh! Wait a minute - looks like they will as long as the NHS is safe in your hands.
It's worth remembering that you may find by introducing a profit motive, blood donors might dry up. Surely that's not just bad for shareholders, it's bad for patients too? I'm not sure I'd want that on my conscience...
Yours, etc"

Tuesday 21 May 2013

Letter 106: Toxic, how the Nasty Party froths on Europe & gay marriage, ignoring how Welfare Reforms burn


"Dear Dave,
Sorry to see the Tory Party infighting has become so relentless of late. Well if I'm honest, like most reasonable people, I'm not so much sorry as bored witless watching your Party eat itself as it kowtows to Ukip on Europe or resists equality and same sex marriage. It's mystifying that backbenchers are unable to concentrate on issues that voters really worry about, such as the Economy, inflation and unemployment. Surely that's what they are paid to do after all!
Talking of something really worrying, is this true? That your Spare Room Subsidy/ Bedroom Tax is costing taxpayers more as demand for emergency handouts has increased by 338%? How long has it been in place now, six weeks? Wow! That suggests quite a DWP cock up. Why aren't your backbenchers focussing on that?
With best wishes, etc.
P.s. If that's not bad enough, it looks like Welfare Reform is also costing more than Iain Duncan Smith anticipated. Since you came into office, the Taxpayer has had to fork out nearly £500 million to cope with more than 1.2 million appeal cases for disability and unemployment allowances. With costs forecast to hit nearly £1 billion by the end of this Parliament, maybe it's not just the Bedroom Tax that looks like a false economy...."

Monday 13 May 2013

Letter 105: Maybe the Coalition believe dishonesty is the best policy?


"Dear Dave,
As you are so keen to establish that yours is a Government of transparency and morality, I thought you might want to address some disappointingly poor standards within your Cabinet of late. In the last few days, not one, but two of your Ministers have been caught out either being deliberately misleading or "economical with the truth", when arguing in favour of policies that they need the public to get behind. That's not just embarrassing, it's also very troubling.
Maybe at your next Cabinet meeting you might like to discuss the following: 
What does it say about the Secretary for Education when he demands rigour of teachers but not of himself? What kind of example is he setting pupils? It takes one to know one on making false Benefit claims. How credible is Ian Duncan Smith's Benefit cap when he needs to rely on dishonesty to back it up? And where the Jiminy Cricket is your Cabinet's moral compass taking you?

With best wishes, etc"