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March 11, 2006
My Application
Patricia Hewitt is looking for a speechwriter:
PATRICIA HEWITT, the Health Secretary, is to hire a personal speechwriter to overhaul the flagging reputation of government health policy as deficits in the NHS continue to soar.
Days after revelations that health service debts have passed £800 million this year, it has emerged that the Department of Health is inviting applications for the new role of speechwriter to help to sell its controversial reforms.
Here’s a draft of her first speech:
"OK, I admit, we’ve cocked it up. When we got in in 1997 we dismantled all of the Tory reforms. Then we doubled the amount of money we spent on the NHS. Then, realising this hadn’t helped, we brought all the Tory reforms back again. At this new, higher, level of spending.
So, as I say, we’ve cocked it. I am therefore resigning, along with the entire Ministerial team. NHS Blog Doctor has been ennobled and will be running the entire system.
Thank you and good day."
March 11, 2006 in Your Tax Money at Work | Permalink
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» A ghost in the machine? from This isn’t writing, it’s typing.
Attention members of the Judson Welliver Society: Patricia Hewitt is looking for a speechwriter in the worst sort of way. From today's edition of The Times:Days after revelations that health service debts have passed £800 million this year, it has eme... [Read More]
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» A ghost in the machine? from This isn’t writing, it’s typing.
Attention members of the Judson Welliver Society: Patricia Hewitt is looking for a speechwriter—and in the worst sort of way. From today's edition of The Times:Days after revelations that health service debts have passed £800 million this year, it has... [Read More]
Tracked on Mar 11, 2006 6:35:09 PM
Comments
Thanks Tim
I'm sitting by the phone.
I should warn you all now, there are going to be changes!
John
Posted by: Dr John Crippen | Mar 11, 2006 8:53:12 AM
In this context, "Speechwriter" is the official euphemism for a propagandist. As Ms Hewitt has been quick to appreciate, the short cut to appear to be solving the rapidly mounting problems of the NHS is to lie.
"Minister Hazel Blears has been attacked for claiming nobody waits more than six months for anything on the NHS. Ms Blears made the claim on BBC Question Time, also saying nobody had to wait for a heart operation any more. Her remarks sparked a flurry of e-mails from people saying they had waited for more than six months for treatment."
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk_politics/4794422.stm
Recapping on Ms Hewitt's previous lacklustre stint as DTI minister in dealing with the MG Rover debacle, Jeff Randall in the Telegraph repeatedly refers to her as "Patricia Hewittless".
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/money/main.jhtml?xml=/money/2006/03/10/ccjeff10.xml&menuId=242&sSheet=/money/2006/03/10/ixcoms.html
The curious thing is that Jeff Randall used to be the BBC's business editor:
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/pressoffice/main.jhtml?view=DETAILS&grid=&xml=/pressoffice/2005/09/16/pre20050916.xml
Posted by: Bob B | Mar 11, 2006 10:23:16 AM
