Too late for Halloween but teeing up the festive pantomime season, this week’s health questions in the House of Commons saw health minister Simon Burns alienate half a million people by uttering only two words. Credit where it’s due, it usually takes a Tory minister at least a full spoken sentence before turning off so many, so kudos to Burns; his efficiency is an example to politicians everywhere.
“Zombie-like” was the offending phrase used by Burns to describe the members of the on-line campaign group 38 Degrees, the group which has mobilised hundreds of thousands of people to protest against a series of government policies by urging them to contact their MPs and the relevant Ministers for whichever policy area is under scrutiny from the group at any given moment. The group’s campaign to Save the NHS has attracted almost 500,000 signatories so far as they tell the government: “Our NHS is precious - we won't forgive you if you ruin it.”
Not only do these unruly oiks resemble flesh-eating corpses, but they have the temerity to contact parliamentarians about legislation they are concerned about. This week, Burns showed the Commons and the troublesome undead that the modern Tory Party is having none of this insolence from beyond the grave.
The response from 38 degrees was swift, raising a virtual two fingered salute (those that hadn’t dropped off) to the Health Minister in the shape of an open letter. The letter, now approaching 50,000 signatures in less than 24 hours, reads:
Dear Simon Burns,
We’re citizens, not zombies.
We have a right to be treated with respect by our MPs and to expect a reply when we get in touch.
Every British citizen has a right to be heard in our democracy. Thousands of us write to our MPs, because we care. Because we value democracy. Because the decisions you take affect us.
It’s your job to listen.
Whether the government will or not is anyone’s guess, but for the sake of our NHS they need to. Now, as Simon Burns sits alone upon the roof of the Department of Health, rifle in hand, surveying the zombie hordes marching towards his door, spare a thought for his secretarial team and the hundreds of thousands of letters he has ensured they now have to respond to.
Jamie Reed is the Labour MP for Copeland and a member of the shadow health team
Comments
Bow_Belle / November 30 2011 4:10pm
The phrase that comes to mind is AD HOMINEM
Playing the man and not the ball.
Clearly Simon Burns is no Georgie Best and he is rattled!