Blog: Friends with benefits

The Greensill scandal has once again brought the murky world of lobbying back to the attention of the wider public. As more evidence comes to light of the cosy relationship between the Conservative Party, lobbyists and the private sector, it’s more important than ever that those of us who care about public services – and decency in public life – speak out. Whether it’s David Cameron casually texting Cabinet ministers to do favours for his pals or Boris Johnson bending over backwards to accommodate James Dyson’s tax needs – both during a global pandemic that brought our country to its knees – the Establishment club is on full display. All of them ​are happy to do each other a favour, to scratch each other’s back​s – but it’s for their benefit, not ours ​or the greater good. It’s public services, and the workers ​that help run them, who are the victims of this Tory sleaze. Just compare and contrast the differences between the roll out of Test and Trace – £37bn wasted by private company failures – and the vaccination programme, which cost £12bn and was effectively and efficiently delivered by the NHS. And yet, at the same time, ​ministers think NHS workers are ​only worth ​a mere 1%​ and that others in the public sector deserve no pay rise at all. David Cameron apparently never thought to wonder why NHS staff might be under financial strain, when a decade of Conservative government has pushed ​health workers to the brink. What th...
Source: UNISON Health care news - Category: UK Health Authors: Tags: Article General secretary's blog Christina McAnea Source Type: news