Seeing headlines that Alan Milburn has called for the cancellation of Trident and ID cards as appropriate cuts for the Labour Government causes a certain frisson within the Left. Is there one more new labour sinner about to repent?
Speaking at a Smith Institute fringe meeting at Labour Party conference, he certainly justified the headlines that he made. But with Alan the devil is always in the detail.
He also called for more use of private contractors - saying he disagreed with current Health Secretary Andy Burnham who has said priority will always be given to in-house NHS services, saying "quality should be the only yardstick".
Quite why Alan was given at platform to expound such views at the Smith Institute of all places is a mystery... The Institute was set up in the memory of the late John Smith – the last ethical leader of the Labour Party. It seems odd that a foundation set up in the name of such a man should be propagating the views of those for whom the founding principles of the NHS seen to be such an anathema.
Alan will not be standing at the next General Election. He stated, "Standing down as an MP will give me the chance to balance my work and my family life with the time to pursue challenges other than politics."
Alan Milburn took a post for £30,000 a year as an adviser to Bridgepoint Capital, a venture capital firm heavily involved in financing private health care firms moving into the NHS, including Alliance Medical, Match Group, Medica and Robina Care Group. He has been Member of Advisory Board of Pepsico since April 2007. See http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Alan_Milburn#Commercial_interests
So on whose behalf is Alan speaking at the Labour Party conference? He has no role in the department of health, and in terms of politics is yesterday’s man. So was he speaking on behalf of his new employers and if he was, should he not have been billed as a paid representative of private health contractors?
Cancelling Trident and ID cards to place more money and profits in the hands of private contractors is a betrayal of Labour Party principles and a waste of public money, Alan.
