The article to which the Skwawkbox links demonstrates that the source of the stories about poor NHS care and the gagging of NHS whistleblowers, has links to Common Purpose, a political lobby group. One of those involved is ‘Beardie’ Richard Branson, who stands to profit from NHS privatisation. Common Purpose have an established policy of setting up ‘useful idiots’ to lead public inquiries, unaware of the larger policy that Common Purpose is pursuing.They claim a similar policy is being followed here, with the other conspirators or useful idiots including Dr Phil Hammond, Private Eye’s ‘MD’, and Ian Hislop himself, for publishing these stories. I don’t think Hammond and Hislop are actually in favour of the privatisation of the NHS. The Eye has, after all, published numerous stories very much criticising it in its ‘In The Back’ and ‘Footnotes’ section. They are also no friends of Branson. As for Hammond, he started his comedy career as one half of ‘Struck Off and Die’, which was formed to combat attacks on the NHS by the Tories. Useful idiocy here is probably more likely, although personal and political beliefs change through time, and Hislop’s private beliefs may be very different from what he publishes professionally.
Came across this very interesting article on the persistent character-assassination of the NHS in the media, and the reasons behind it (it references my articles on HSMRs and on Private Eye’s wholesale swallowing of them):
http://www.worldmedicaltimes.org/bureau-of-investigative-journalism-nhs-common-purpose/
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