Aneurin Bevan would be turning in his grave at state of Welsh NHS, Tory MP says
Aneurin Bevan, the Labour former health minister who oversaw the foundation of the NHS, would be “turning in his grave” at how his party has run the health service in Wales, Tory MP Alun Cairns has said.
The Conservative former Welsh secretary compared the high number of patients in Wales waiting longer than 18 months for an operation with those waiting in England, as he made the claim at Prime Minister’s Questions.
Mr Cairns, MP for the Vale of Glamorgan, told the Commons: “For 27 years, constituents across the Vale of Glamorgan and across the whole of Wales sadly have to wait longer to see a doctor, longer for an ambulance, longer at A&E and longer for an operation than patients in England.
Waiting
“There are 24,785 patients in Wales waiting longer than two years for an operation. That number in England is 227. Does the Prime Minister agree that Aneurin Bevan will be turning in his grave on the fact that you can’t trust Labour with the NHS?”
Rishi Sunak replied: “He is absolutely right. Whereas here in England we have a plan when it comes to education, where we are marching up the league tables and we have virtually eliminated those waiting the longest amount of time, but in Labour-run Wales, as he said, education rates are falling and waiting lists over 18 months are more than 10 times higher than here in England.”
Square one
The Prime Minister added: “It is crystal clear we should stick to our plan for a brighter future and not go back to square one with Labour.”
Born and raised in Tredegar, South Wales, Mr Bevan was the Labour MP for Ebbw Vale.
As health minister in prime minister Clement Attlee’s post-Second World War government he oversaw the creation and early years of the NHS.
Ahead of the general election expected later this year, Mr Sunak and his allies have sought to portray the Labour-run Welsh Government’s record over healthcare, which is devolved, as an example of how Sir Keir Starmer would govern the UK.
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Eh? A conservative party that has effectively ruined and sold of the UK national health has the absolute gall and dim wittiness to say this? It not great in Wales chump but come on, you are standing at the back of the Titanic wondering why people are complaining. Really must pay attention to the NHS in England, it is terrible. Today there are minsters out trying to push new dentist ploys on people because 14 years of their rule has failed, they are pushing health care plans to try to fill the mess and they have sold the English NHS… Read more »
Clearly should keep his mouth shut, giving central funding choices is the backbone of the issues, made worse by the loss of EU money, not replaced. Plus we all know Aneurin’s views on Tories. He would be rolling in his grave at the destruction, 14 years of Tory incompetance has done to life and Cairn’s awful disgusting record as Welsh Sec.
My question to Mr Cairns would be ‘…Why did you and your tory party wreck the NHS to the extent it no longer functions along with the rest of the UK infrastructure’? You quote Nye Bevan who famously said ‘… all tories are lower than vermin’, I think your recent track record proves his point
Oh yeah, quit with the squirrels and write to the PM to tell him to apologise after his disgusting comments in the house today at PMQ.
Or are you supporting what he said. Saying nothing leaves you the PM side with his hateful comments.
Just reading the comments and stories in the Tory supporting rag trying to blame Starmer Sunak said it and all the Tories laughed disgusting Tories
Starmer said who was visiting and sunak said what he said after that. The bloke is clueless and crass. He also took a bet to harm people. Says it all really.
Cairns and the Welsh sec Davies who does nothing for Wales except put the country the down the smarmy smurk
What exactly has Cairns done for Cymru besides renaming the Second Severn Crossing with a name that most people didn’t want.
This guy is a prize d***head but what’s annoying is he thinks we are stupid enough to swallow his bull💩. Because of ill-health my wife and I regularly visit Llanelli, Carmarthen and Morriston hospitals and let me tell you that they are all overwhelmed with incomers who have moved here mainly from England. Hardly a Welsh accent can be heard. Our surgery is exactly the same but with a mixture of nationalities. I only hope that the Senedd has applied for an increase of funds from Westminster to finance these extra patients.
Aneurin Bevan:
“No amount of cajolery, and no attempts at ethical or social seduction, can eradicate from my heart a deep burning hatred for the tory party. So far as I am concerned they are lower than vermin.”
I despise the tories as much as he did and
alun cairns isn’t fit to mention the great man’s name!
Aneurin Bevan would call Alun Cairns vermin and then tell him to start funding the NHS properly. The gall of any Tory quoting Nye Bevan’s name is beyond the pale.
Cairns’ predecessors in parliament voted 22 times against the legislation establishing the NHS during its parliamentary passage.
The CONservatives never wanted the NHS in the first place and since 1979 they’ve been actively flogging it off piecemeal to their rich mates.
Cairns ought to learn when to hold his tongue.