Amid the blizzard of financial news in this week’s Budget, Jeremy Hunt lavished praise on the NHS as “the biggest reason most of us are proud to be British”.
The Chancellor recalled how “our biggest and most important public service” had ensured the safe delivery of his three gorgeous children as he confirmed his intention to fully fund the NHS’ plan to make it a state-of-the-art service.
However, others have questioned Mr Hunt’s sense of priorities. “Really?” economist Andrew Lilico said. “Not only does Hunt himself feel prouder to be British on account of the NHS than because of the founding of Parliament, Newton’s science, Lockean liberty, abolishing slavery and defeating Hitler, but he believes that’s what ‘most of us’ feel as well?”
Journalist and author James Bartholomew, who has studied the British welfare state, also questioned Mr Hunt’s remark.
Writing in an opinion piece for The Telegraph he said: “What caused Mr Hunt to say the NHS is ‘rightly’ the biggest reason most are proud of Britain? Surely, with all his experience, he cannot be that ignorant of the truth? And if he is not, I’m afraid he must simply be cynical.”
