London's hospitals.
Unfortunately, Labour's defence of the NHS - supposedly a surefire vote winner - has been pathetic. Health spokesman David Blunkett openly accepts many Tomlinson's premises and has even welcomed its supposed emphasis on primary health care (services such as general practitioners and health visitors). Yet even he has been forced to brand Tomlinson 'a front for cuts and closures'.
Roger Lyons, general secretary of MSF, has written a letter of 'protest' to Bottomley which fails to oppose hospital closures, merely arguing that any money saved be ringfenced for other healthcare uses.
Blunkett's sponsoring union NUPE has likewise softpedaled on the question, although one London official has issued a press release correctly arguing that 'the deadly cocktail of the market, Tomlinson and publicservice cuts offer the prospect of London's streets ›eing paved with the sick, mentally ill and dying!
By far the best response has come from the Confederation of Health Service Employees, which is working with pressure group London Health Emergency around a 'Londoners Need London's Hospitals' campaign.
LHE has developed a simple five point alternative plan which includes calls for an immediate cash injection of 100 million into London's NHS and the abolition of the health care market.
Commented LHE's John Lister: If the government can be forced to hold back on pit closures, a London-wide campaign can stop them closing our hospitals.' London Health Emergency, 446, Uxbridge Road, London W12 ONS. Tel: 081 749 2525