The last resort of the scoundrel?

Health Secretary Andy Burnham has accused a Tory MEP who attacked the NHS on American TV of being "unpatriotic".

Labour has stepped up its criticism of Daniel Hannan, who waded into the debate over Barack Obama's health bill.

Turns out Barack Obama doesn't want to copy our system either.

President Barack Obama has made an impassioned defence of health care reform but told Americans he would not use Britain's "socialised" system as a model.

It's been mildly diverting watching the current "witch hunt" as Labour turn their guns against Dan Hannan to try and turn the public's attention away from their own shortcomings. Unfortunately they've forgotten that public disdain for politicians means that the minute they got involved the cause died a death (bit like the unlucky ones that the NHS occasionally fails)
You see, what Labour has failed to realise (along with a good few of Joe public) is that the majority of people don't love the NHS, what they love are the Doctors, Nurses, Ambulance Drivers, Radiotherapists, Ancillary staff etc who look after them on the wards and in A & E. What they don't love is the bureaucracy, the jobsworths, the parking charges, the denial of drugs because of expense (Yes Death panel was a good swipe at the quango called NICE) and the various other things that go to make healthcare in this country a slight tarnishing of the soul.

You also have to wonder which country Andy Burnham thought you were being unpatriotic about, because his title "Minister for Health" is a bit of a misnomer, he's actually only the Minister for Health of England as his portfolio only applies there and not in Scotland or Wales who have to all intents and purposes their own NHS's. No doubt he thought he was making a good point, but any left wing authoritarian really needs to avoid patriotism as their own shortcomings in this area really don't bear scrutiny. Is it patriotic to starve our troops of equipment when fighting in two conflicts? Is it patriotic to allow unbridled immigration? Is it patriotic to refuse democracy in England whilst allowing Scotland and Wales their own Parliaments as well as still allowing their MP's to vote on English matters?

When it comes to Labour, Samuel Johnson was quite correct, "Patriotism is the last refuge of a scoundrel."