View from the Commons - Happy Anniversary
2008 marks some significant anniversaries. It is exactly 100 years since the first Old Age Pensions were introduced in 1908 by Lloyd George and the Liberal Government (to be followed in 1911 by the Liberal Government introducing the first Sickness and Unemployment benefits). It is 60 years since the NHS was created in 1948- by a Labour Government but based upon a blueprint drawn up by the Liberal William Beveridge. The same William Beveridge who drew up the 1919 Act, that under Prime Minister Lloyd George introduced large scale Council Housing.
How are Old Age Pensions faring on their 100th birthday? Not very well as we now have one of the lowest State Pensions in Western Europe. Something Gordon Brown has boasted about because it cuts the cost to the Government!
What about the NHS on its 60th birthday? Once the envy of the world the NHS has gone through a bad period. First there was over two decades of cuts and underfunding. From the Labour Governments cuts in 1976-1979; through 18 years of Tory cuts 1979-1997 and then 2 more years of Labour cuts from 1997 -1999.By-2007 UK Health spending had climbed back to around Western European averages.
There have been some improvements in recent years as a result, but countries like Germany, Italy and France have as many as twice the number of doctors per head of population that we do -and spend more for example on cancer care. Meanwhile the Royal Hospital in Chesterfield is having to cut 10% from its budget between 2006-2009.
Council Housing is in an even worse state. Labour all but ended Council House building in 1997 - the 300 built across the country last year was the lowest number since before World War One! In 2008 Gordon Brown is going to steal £4Million from Chesterfield Council tenants rents (up from £3.2Million in 2007), rather than allow that money to be spent on Chesterfield estates , modernising houses, clearing litter, dealing with bad neighbours or building new houses.
How could we afford Pensions, Council Housing and the NHS in 1908, 1919 and 1948 but not today?