Depends who wins the Tory leader election. Jeremy Hunt has long been an advocate of privatising the NHS, and historically there have always been Tories who believe that the NHS is a socialist invention that needs abolishing. Indeed, Jeremy Hunt has co-written a book on the subject . So yes, there is, but it’s nothing to do with Trump, except as a source of American funding.
And remember, the article discusses only NHS England. The NHS is devolved in Scotland,Wales and Northern Ireland. There have already been demonstrations in Scotland about “saving our NHS” because they know the way the wind is blowing with a Tory government in its shiny new Farage imitating mode.
The one reason I am not particularly worried is twofold. Firstly, anyone proposing such a plan would be committing electoral suicide. Thatcher knew this. Cameron is a life long admirer of the NHS. Everybody loves the NHS, but it’s a bit like a marriage. We tolerate it’s faults, but know it will always be there when we need it.
Secondly, I might have enough money not to be bothered. But I fear for the population who couldn’t afford insurance. The prospect of England turning into America is a nightmare. And it will be only England, because such a plan would destroy the Union. Scotland would become independent, Northern Ireland would rejoin Eire. Some Tories wouldn’t care, but most would.
All in all, it’s a non starter. But we need a general election to be sure.
