Life at the top

I am not sure how much it matters whether the leader of our great country, once the leader of the world in the provision of public health, free at the point of delivery, actually makes use of that public service or whether he uses some of his considerable wealth to make alternative provision, but I am sure that it matters that he cannot bring himself to be honest about the matter, even when it seems reasonably clear that he has made such alternative provision.

Does he not understand that we are unlikely to trust him to rebuild the health service when he cannot bring himself to entrust his own health and that of his family to it? Or at least explain himself, explain about his Tory right to exercise the choice that he can afford. Not his problem than most people cannot so afford.

In which connection I remember a late night discussion at TB, probably more than ten years ago now, about the treatment of prime ministers in hospitals. I argued that, given the duties and responsibilities of a prime minister, it would be sensible to give him (or her) his own room, rather than putting him in one of those bays with six or more beds which seem to be the norm now. The mood of the bar was against: we should all be equal in sickness & in health and prime ministers should be in the bay with everybody else.

From where I associate to the artistic uncle who once said that he much preferred being in a ward - dormitory wards still being the thing in those days - as you got a bit of company. Mixed company maybe, but at least you weren't shut up in solitary with just your illness for company.

And to a fragment from the Lebanon where everybody was equal in death, I think from reference 2. Everybody went through the same process and was buried in the same way. From where I jump to the originally Iranian towers of silence. I think everyone was equal there too, barring segregation of men, women and children into their respective circles.

PS: I wonder whether some of Sunak's wealth is invested in those big US health insurance operations which make large amounts of money out of selling expensive health care. Roughly twice as expensive as that available in most of the rest of the western world.

References

Reference 1: ‘Not really relevant’: Rishi Sunak refuses to say if he uses private healthcare: PM urged to ‘come clean’ amid suggestions he is out of touch with millions who face long NHS waits - Pippa Crerar, Guardian - 2023.

Reference 2: Lords of the Lebanese marches: Violence and narrative in an Arab society - Michael Gilsenan - 1996.