This past week, David Cameron has been talking up his "grenade" being thrown at the NHS, as if it were the kindest cut of all. He has spoken of his respect for the doctors and nurses, and love of what the great institution does, while also pushing for a massive change of direction, so big "it can be seen from space". Indeed, the NHS has never been remade so completely in its 60+ year history. At heart, along with allowing private health providers much more access to the market, is the demanagementising of the system, with groups of GPs replacing managers to run the NHS in local clots. Never mind that GPs are doctors, not public planners. Mr Cameron has been evangelical about the ability of the GPs to handle this big ask. So, what to make of today's news, that GPs bungled their ordering of flu jabs so badly this year, it is being recommended that the government resume running the yearly influenza vaccination programme itself. This seems a warning sign, at the very least. If GPs can't handle running even one national health matter properly, how will they not bungle running the whole NHS? I want a second opinion.
THAT HANDSOME MAN A PERSONAL BRIEF REVIEW BY TODD SWIFT I could lie and claim Larkin, Yeats , or Dylan Thomas most excited me as a young poet, or even Pound or FT Prince - but the truth be told, it was Thom Gunn I first and most loved when I was young. Precisely, I fell in love with his first two collections, written under a formalist, Elizabethan ( Fulke Greville mainly), Yvor Winters triad of influences - uniquely fused with an interest in homerotica, pop culture ( Brando, Elvis , motorcycles). His best poem 'On The Move' is oddly presented here without the quote that began it usually - Man, you gotta go - which I loved. Gunn was - and remains - so thrilling, to me at least, because so odd. His elegance, poise, and intelligence is all about display, about surface - but the surface of a panther, who ripples with strength beneath the skin. With Gunn, you dressed to have sex. Or so I thought. Because I was queer (I maintain the right to lay claim to that
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In Sunday's Telegraph, Matthew D'Ancona said that right-wing Tories should stop whining because they atre getting every single thing they wanted through the ConDem coalition. I wish it weren't true but I fear that it is.
Best wishes from Simon