31.08.10
Reforms are risky, but ‘Citizen Burnham’ still looks more radical
There is no question that the proposed health reforms put forward by health secretary Andrew Lansley are controversial and risky for an NHS which is at a crucial point in its existence.
But I am afraid that Andy Burnham’s tactics of pandering to health service unions in his leadership campaign are at risk of driving public perception of the Labour party back to the day’s of Neil Kinnock. Or even worse, Arthur Scargill.
If Labour wants a chance to compete for government, then it must again find that compromise with the centre right which it found in Tony Blair and which returned it to power from the wilderness in 1997.
And right now Mr Burnham has to choose between his friends in the unions or everybody else.
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