Imagine the scene.   Gordon Brown, the leader of the Westminster gang, makes a perfectly legitimate deal with a respectable old gentleman but gradually finds that he wants out of the arrangement as he's getting a bit hard up and anyway, the old codger has served his purpose and it's time he went.   Being somewhat of a shady character and having a few devious lawyers in his entourage Brown has taken the precaution of ensuring the deal is one-sided so that only he can get out of it or change it.  

The old gentleman had thought that this get-out clause would only be used in a dire emergency and began mildly protesting.  However, money is money and Brown was getting broke and, to him, that was an emergency.  In any case, who the hell did this old boy think he was, daring to argue with him?   Blow that for a Sassenach tea-party, he thought, he's no longer needed, so Brown sent Johnson, one of his heavies out to deal with him.

Leering as only he could, Johnson stuck his face within inches of the old man and growled "Look here, you scumbag, you'll do as we say or you'll get it.  See?"

"W-w-what do you mean?" stammered the old gentleman.

"The boss told you he wants £6,000 pounds from you and that you'll work for him as and when he pleases.  Nothing less.  Geddit?" snarled Johnson, his garlic-laden breath steaming his victims spectacles.

"That's not fair.  He can't do that, we have an agreement".

"Oh no?" Johnson snapped,  "Well, I'll tell you this, mister, if you don't find it ...and find it quick... the price will go up to 35-grand and will continue to go up until you come to your senses and do as your told."

"That's blackmail."

"Call it what you will, you stupid old git, but since you signed that piece of paper the boss can do anything he likes to you, when he likes and for as long as he likes.  Understand?"

"B-b-bu----"

"I said, do you understand?" Johnson growled raising his fist.

"B-b-but that's threatening me and how do I know that even if I pay you won't come back for more?"

"You don't, sucker, you don't.  So, get that cash.   I'll be back!"

Now the old man sees the dilemma.   He can either pay the £6,000 quietly now and hope that is the end of the matter.  But with Brown's record it isn't likely to be.  He would be back for more and more.

Or, he can refuse to pay, and seek the help of some of his friends who had promised to help him if he got into trouble and maybe together they could fight and perhaps beat Brown and his gang and not have to pay the threatened £35,000.   That was the obvious thing to do.   Only a fool gives in to blackmailers.

Still trembling, the old man picked up the phone and spoke to his friends, telling them exactly what had just happened.

"You'll just have to hand over the £6,000 and hope you can fight him later.  It might be easier then but we're not going to fight for you.  Sorry".

"But he's blackmailing me and threatening me and you said you'd help if I ever needed you".

"Tough cheese, old boy.  You're just not worth it.  Not worth it at all.   Anyway, Brown's too big for us.   We might get hurt and he might send heavies round to the club and break it up".

Finally losing his temper the old gentleman uttered a long string of expletives which he didn't know were in his vocabulary.

Individual general practitioners are well and truly on their own.     Whichever choice they make, Brown's heavies will win and the GPs' fair weather Union, the BMA is not going to raise a hand to help them - until they are sure of winning.  

That is man-management, Brown-style.  Management with menaces, blackmail - and lies.   And trade unionism, BMA-style.

Brown is basing his dishonourable behaviour on a lie - but that's new Labour, is it not?  His spinners and, indeed, he himself are telling the world that the overwhelming majority of patients want access to GPs out of hours.

That is a blatant lie and Gordon Brown knows it full well.

The most recent official NHS survey of some millions of patients demonstrated that no fewer than 84% of patients were satisfied with their GP's service.  Only a mere 4%, just 4%, said they wanted access to their GP at weekends and evenings.

So, what is all this government criminality about, then?

Gordon Brown and his predecessor have been steadily privatising the NHS by their policy of hospital building and profit taking by private enterprise (PFI) and similarly replacing  primary care GP services  with polyclinics run by international private health care companies.   Close, cosy meetings have been held by government with the leaders of these industries.  The most recent is Virgin Health whose owner, Richard Branson had a comfortable trip to China with the Prime Minister recently.   It is thought that topics other than Northern Rock and the weather may have cropped up in conversation.

To these people, what they consider to be "old-fashioned" general practice is in the way and should be removed.   Brown agrees and believes the best way to eliminate GPs is by reneging steadily on a contract which GPs thought had been honourably agreed on.   If it calls for a bit of strong-arm tactics, then, so be it.   At the end of the day, the GP will find his practice no longer viable and industrial medicine will take it over.

Family practice will be over.   But, hey, who cares?   Possibly not the BMA.   Anyway, it'll be the GPs' fault, as ever.

David Roberts

(12/2/08)