Fraser Nelson Fraser Nelson

Why we need a proper debate about healthcare

What we’ve seen in the last few days cannot be described as a debate about healthcare. It was a session of transatlantic insult slinging – and damned lies. This raises two questions: is the future of the NHS a subject that can be discussed rationally? And is the internet taking to British politics to the inane extremes that we see in certain sections of the American media?

Let’s take this #welovethenhs Twitter campaign. Contrary to several British press reports, Sarah Palin did not describe the NHS as Orwellian or evil (she didn’t even mention Britain in her Facebook entry, here). But suggestions to the contrary have helped stoke this image of the NHS being under attack by a group which Gordon Brown has called “right wing in the United States” (a phrase I note he didn’t use when Bush was in power) and “their friends in the British Conservative Party” (booo!). People are condemning Dan Hannan without reading what he has been writing (for months). Brown is trying to claim ownership of the Twitterers, saying he has “been profoundly moved,” as if it has the slightest thing to do with him. The Health Secretary’s contribution is to inform us that he loves the NHS “2nd only to Everton FC”.

Mark Halperin calls this “The Freak Show” – political debate being reduced to two extremes hurling abuse at each other. In America, this takes the form of “Michael Moore, meet Ann Coulter.” The extremes tend to provoke a mass reaction (as per Twitter). Cynical politicians can stoke the hysteria. Cowardly politcians attempt to ride it, joining the debate on its inane terms.

In my News of the World column today, I say an opportunity to properly debate the NHS has been missed. And this Twitter intifada seems to see a very worried David Cameron boxing himself into a corner.

Already a subscriber? Log in

Keep reading with a free trial

Subscribe and get your first month of online and app access for free. After that it’s just £1 a week.

There’s no commitment, you can cancel any time.

Or

Unlock more articles

REGISTER

Comments

Don't miss out

Join the conversation with other Spectator readers. Subscribe to leave a comment.

Already a subscriber? Log in