A campaign has been launched to hit back at criticism of the NHS by right-wing American politicians.
The internet campaign group Avaaz says President Obama’s “movement for change” is at “risk of collapsing in large part because of lies about healthcare in the UK”.
Say campaigners: “US healthcare is run by large corporations – it’s the most expensive in the world, but ranks 37th in quality, and 40 million Americans can’t afford any care at all. It’s an awful system for people, but corporations make enormous profits, so they’re fighting to keep it.
“We need a huge popular outcry to show the truth – how proud and grateful we are in the UK to have a public healthcare system that works, despite its imperfections.”
Avaaz is hoping to get enough names on its on-line petition in support of the NHS to “cause a stir in US media”.
High Pay Commission
A worker on a 40-hour week earning the minimum wage would have to work for around 226 years to receive the same remuneration as a FTSE 100 CEO does in just one year, according to the campaign group Compass.
It is calling for the creation of a High Pay Commission to launch a “review of pay at the top”.
It states that the review “should consider proposals to restrict excessive remuneration such as maximum wage ratios and bonus taxation to provide the just society and sustainable economy we all want”.
See here for more information on the campaign.
Greg Lewis 