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| Browns join Twitter war over NHS | Browns join Twitter war over NHS |
| (10 minutes later) | |
| Gordon and Sarah Brown have joined a Twitter campaign to defend the NHS, which is under fire in the US. | Gordon and Sarah Brown have joined a Twitter campaign to defend the NHS, which is under fire in the US. |
| The prime minister posted a message on the welovetheNHS page after critics of Barack Obama's health reforms dubbed it "Orwellian" and "evil". | The prime minister posted a message on the welovetheNHS page after critics of Barack Obama's health reforms dubbed it "Orwellian" and "evil". |
| Tory leader David Cameron has also backed the NHS after one of his MEPs said he "wouldn't wish it on anyone". | Tory leader David Cameron has also backed the NHS after one of his MEPs said he "wouldn't wish it on anyone". |
| Mr Cameron said the NHS was "incredibly important for this country" and vowed to "nurture" it if he came to power. | Mr Cameron said the NHS was "incredibly important for this country" and vowed to "nurture" it if he came to power. |
| The Twitter campaign has attracted more than a million followers and thousands of messages of support - including tweets from Sarah Brown, who wrote welovetheNHS "more than words can say", Health Secretary Andy Burnham and former deputy prime minister John Prescott. | The Twitter campaign has attracted more than a million followers and thousands of messages of support - including tweets from Sarah Brown, who wrote welovetheNHS "more than words can say", Health Secretary Andy Burnham and former deputy prime minister John Prescott. |
| Rationing | Rationing |
| On Wednesday evening a message was posted on it from the Downing Street Twitter feed, saying: "PM: NHS often makes the difference between pain and comfort, despair and hope, life and death. Thanks for always being there". | On Wednesday evening a message was posted on it from the Downing Street Twitter feed, saying: "PM: NHS often makes the difference between pain and comfort, despair and hope, life and death. Thanks for always being there". |
| The NHS been held up by opponents of Barack Obama's health reforms as an example of an overly bureaucratic "socialized" system which denies treatment to the elderly and prevents people from paying for their own medicines. | The NHS been held up by opponents of Barack Obama's health reforms as an example of an overly bureaucratic "socialized" system which denies treatment to the elderly and prevents people from paying for their own medicines. |
| I find it incredible that a free people living in a country dedicated and founded in the cause of independence and freedom can seriously be thinking about adopting such a system Daniel Hannan, Conservative MEP | I find it incredible that a free people living in a country dedicated and founded in the cause of independence and freedom can seriously be thinking about adopting such a system Daniel Hannan, Conservative MEP |
| Tory MEP Daniel Hannan, who has long campaigned for the NHS to be dismantled and replaced with a system of "personal health accounts", has joined in the criticism on US television, where he described it earlier this month as a "60-year mistake". | Tory MEP Daniel Hannan, who has long campaigned for the NHS to be dismantled and replaced with a system of "personal health accounts", has joined in the criticism on US television, where he described it earlier this month as a "60-year mistake". |
| Speaking on Fox News on Friday, Mr Hannan continued his criticism. | |
| "The most striking thing about it is that you are very often just sent back to the queue," he told the Glenn Beck programme and spoke of elderly patients "left starving in wards". | "The most striking thing about it is that you are very often just sent back to the queue," he told the Glenn Beck programme and spoke of elderly patients "left starving in wards". |
| He described the NHS as a product of wartime planning, like rationing, and added: "I find it incredible that a free people living in a country dedicated and founded in the cause of independence and freedom can seriously be thinking about adopting such a system in peacetime and massively expanding the role of the state when there's no need." | He described the NHS as a product of wartime planning, like rationing, and added: "I find it incredible that a free people living in a country dedicated and founded in the cause of independence and freedom can seriously be thinking about adopting such a system in peacetime and massively expanding the role of the state when there's no need." |
| Cameron vow | Cameron vow |
| The Conservative Party said it would not be taking any disciplinary action against Mr Hannan following his comments, which contradict party policy and which have sparked fierce criticism from Labour MPs. | The Conservative Party said it would not be taking any disciplinary action against Mr Hannan following his comments, which contradict party policy and which have sparked fierce criticism from Labour MPs. |
| But Mr Cameron, who has pledged to protect the health service from public spending cuts, attempted to distance himself from Mr Hannan's comments when he was tackled about them on a walkabout in his constituency. | But Mr Cameron, who has pledged to protect the health service from public spending cuts, attempted to distance himself from Mr Hannan's comments when he was tackled about them on a walkabout in his constituency. |
| He told BBC News: "I support the NHS 100% and the Conservative Party supports the NHS 100%. | He told BBC News: "I support the NHS 100% and the Conservative Party supports the NHS 100%. |
| "We are the party that gives the biggest amount of support to the NHS. It is incredibly important to my family. It is incredibly important to this country." | "We are the party that gives the biggest amount of support to the NHS. It is incredibly important to my family. It is incredibly important to this country." |
| He vowed to "nurture the NHS" if he came to power, "and improve it and make sure it is there for everyone in this country". | He vowed to "nurture the NHS" if he came to power, "and improve it and make sure it is there for everyone in this country". |
| Writing on his Daily Telegraph blog, Mr Hannan said he was a strong supporter of Mr Cameron, but disagreed with him on health. | Writing on his Daily Telegraph blog, Mr Hannan said he was a strong supporter of Mr Cameron, but disagreed with him on health. |
| "I am not the Conservative Party's healthcare spokesman. I'm fond of (shadow health secretary) Andrew Lansley, and I strongly support David Cameron as party leader. On this issue, though, I disagree with both of them." | "I am not the Conservative Party's healthcare spokesman. I'm fond of (shadow health secretary) Andrew Lansley, and I strongly support David Cameron as party leader. On this issue, though, I disagree with both of them." |