Walk the walk

The crises in public services in Britain in 2017-2018 reveal the downside of democracy. It has been known for decades that there would be more elderly people with long-term health and care needs, and it has been equally clear that the means of keeping old people alive would expand, so multiplying the need.

The health and social care services are perhaps the most acute case in point. We have too few beds, too few staff, and the nation’s health suffers – which means scores of individuals suffer. There is risk to life in this lack of capacity, and routine health care is delayed.

Why have the problems not

been anticipated and steps taken to meet the need? And why, now, in the midst of the most demanding crisis experienced so far, do politicians still utter bland reassurances and avoid the real questions? Saying how much they appreciate the hard work of NHS staff does not provide the support

that the staff deserve. Does the fault lie in the limitations of democratic government, which apply most forcibly when the party in power does not have a strong majority? Its MPS want to retain control at the next general election, so they fear alienating the electorate and making a gift to the

opposition. Consequently they do not do the one thing that is essential, namely fund the services adequately, because the only people who can provide the necessary funds are the citizenry and asking people to pay more is not popular.

The result is what we are now experiencing, a paralysis born of democracy – a seeming contradiction but the reality nevertheless. The nettle will have to be grasped. Where are the politicians who will put the interests of the people before the interests of their party?

GEOFF MILLER

Newtyle, Blairgowrie