13th August 2009 - Linda slams Hannan over NHS comments

Linda McAvan has spoken out after it emerged that South West Conservative MEP Daniel Hannan has travelled to America to oppose President Obama’s reform of healthcare – and to criticise the NHS. So where does the Tory Party really stand on the NHS?

Ms McAvan has challenged Tory leader David Cameron, and leader of the Tory MEPs, Yorkshire & Humber MEP Timothy Kirkhope, to distance themselves from Mr Hannan.

On Friday last week Daniel Hannan was reported in the Washington Times as describing the NHS as a “Marxist system” where “everyone is dragged down to the lowest standard of care”. He went on to say; "It's almost like battered-wife syndrome. The British people cling to a system that abuses them." On Saturday he appeared on the Fox news channel saying that he “wouldn’t wish the NHS on anyone” .

In April, Mr Hannan described the NHS as a “sixty year mistake” .

Hannan’s comments have sparked an internet movement, with more than a million users of the social networking site Twitter signing up to say “I love the NHS”.

David Cameron once described his top three priorities for government as three letters: NHS.

Linda McAvan said today;

"We know it may not always be perfect, but public support for the NHS is overwhelming and most of our families rely on it. Is Daniel Hannan really speaking for the Conservative Party when he makes these outrageous comments? Conservative Party members in the South East chose him to be their number one candidate in the European elections and David Cameron asked him to speak specially at Conservative Party conference”

“The Conservatives withdrew the whip from Yorkshire & Humber MEP Edward McMillan-Scott, because he was concerned about extremism in their new political group in the European Parliament. Now Daniel Hannan has broken ranks on the NHS and yet the Tory Party stays silent. David Cameron and the Tory leader in the European Parliament, Timothy Kirkhope, should make their position clear. Are they going to condemn the comments of Daniel Hannan and speak out in favour of a publicly funded health service?”