DERISORY INCREASE ON MINIMUM WAGE

The Minimum Wage was undoubtedly one of the best achievements of the Labour Government when it first came to power. No-one disputes that.
But the latest- derisory - increase of between 4 pence and 7 pence an hour is frankly an insult to working-class people. At a time when billions of pounds have been poured into bailing out the banks and their friends in the City, at a time when Cabinet Ministers targetting the unemployed are claiming hundreds of pounds every month for food bills, who can expect the electorate to be impressed by such a risible amount. It's time the Government acknowledged the huge anger out there at the widening gap between rich and poor. And did something about it. More here
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NHS - GOOD AND BAD NEWS

Welcome news from Gordon Brown that he is to introduce the first national screening programme of its kind in the world, to spot the early signs of heart problems, stroke, diabetes and kidney disease.
·Good news too that key diagnostic procedures such as blood tests, electro-cardiograms (ECGs) and ultrasounds will be available in local GP surgeries, to help cut waiting times. But it's a bit of a shame that all these positives are also being accompanied by yet more privatisation and outsourcing, with the market now encroaching into every sector of the NHS.
As this is not the case in Scotland and Wales, where there has been a moratorium on privatisation, it will inevitably lead to disparity in services across the UK and a postcode lottery for services and treatments. Neal Lawson has an interesting piece on this topic on the Compass website and as he rightly points out: " If Labour cannot popularise the National Health Service as an institution that embodies the values of the left, the notion of solidarity will come under threat of extinction in an increasingly individualised and consumerised world. After all, we should all be equal in our pyjamas." Thanks to marketisation, this is not the case........