The NHS is struggling because of many factors - under funding, an ageing population and diabetes are just a few.
I actually believe people have been educated enough about healthy living, personal choice is something no government can control.
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You are right about underfunding, ageing population and an increase in socially determined disease, of which diabetes is an obvious example.
But these are symptoms of the profound malaise, not causes. The sickness at the heart of the NHS is that it has lost touch with its primary purpose, to improve the nationās health. Not to firefight the fire-storm of that primary purposeās failure.
The story of the NHS resembles that of the little Dutch boy who stuck his finger in a leaking hole in the Dyke to save his village from flooding. There are now too many holes, and not enough disillusioned fingers to save the inevitable collapse as the waters rise.
As for government not being in charge of peopleās choices, I profoundly disagree. The government has us by the short and curlies over almost all our fundamental choices, housing, education, workā¦and manages it by crude rationing. But thatās another topic.
Meanwhile you can choose what washing up liquid or toilet paper you prefer from a huge range of highly desirable optionsā¦
At the risk of offending a few PC contributorsā¦ maybe there are too many Dykes 
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I think itās always too easy to blame the government for everything, people have more choice over how they live their lives than ever before.
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I am using my own previous comment as an entry point as I canāt see a logical place to add a couple of bits which have come to my attention;
1 How many of us knew there was another EU? I certainly didnāt and shame on me as it has just had its 5th Year Annual Conference. In case anyone thinks this is some sort of playtime joke, well sit back, because it isnāt.
It is the EUROASIAN UNION which currently has Six Nations in it (interesting figure eh?). It is of course dominated by Russia and has some 150 million joint populations involved (in fact I think it is more than that, but I havenāt done my CIA World Factbook check as yet). Guess what itās base is? Yep Freedom of Movement of Goods, Services and People. Sound familiar? Check in out on YouTube and see how that āhorribleā man Putin is pushing through a Universal Pension Scheme across the Group, where it doesnāt matter in which country you worked - provided you have documentary evidence. More interesting perhaps is that at least three of the countries involved are Muslim Countries. Hmm?
- Although I loathe Farage to soles of my feet, it is unavoidable not to give the man credit for knowing his audience - the British Working Class (by and large). He is the Goebbels of the UK and his playbook is straight out of Goebbelsā. Simple Message (Lie) beaten out until the populace believe it. PLUS and in a recent interview he made the most telling comment of all when he said ācalling people stupid and morons is not a good way to get them on your sideā How very true. It is amaing how Extreme Nationalists know this and so many donāt.
However there is one final factor that I believe is worth consideration.
History has shown that the more extreme parties inevitably fight amongst themselves before they achieve anything else. In the process either a very strong Dictator appears, OR the Party demolishes itself. Recently here in France Le Pen has broken away from he colleague competitors (including a family member). The AFD in Germany broke itself up with internal factional fighting, and in Italy Salviniās partner has also just resigned. Plus of course Farage quit UKIP on similar grounds.
There is a pattern to this.
In all honesty I donāt see anyone on the Extreme Right being a new DIctator of Europe. Note even Orban has been suspended by his own Right Wing voting Group in the EU (the biggest Group incidentally) through his behaviour. He still has a vast and clear majority in Hungary, but we should be clear that Hungary has a History of Dictatorships - usually with the support of other countries notably the Soviet Union (which in case no-one has noticed doesnāt exist anymore)
Isnāt History fascinating - AND Relevant?
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With subjects like these there are so many valid points being raised that it is difficult (again) to find a logical point of entry, so apologies Peter if yiu feel this is not a good one.
Once again,and probably inevitably I feel it necessary to look back into History, but in this instance very recent history, and expound a theory I have about Health and Climate Change. Is it possible to directly combine th e two AND put the blame where I feel it could justifiably be placed.
Now and as ever I claim no technical or scientific expertise, but to me there seems an Historical Coincidentality (I just made that up?) that seems unavoidable.
Let us consider that we have become more interested and aware of Climate Change and Dangers to health in the past say 25 years. I am being deliberately vague about dates as I feel there has been a developmental element to all this.
What has been the biggest and still developing factor in all our lives over this period? I would suggest it has been the internet and use of satellite technology. As the years have gone on, we have been belting trillions of non-visible beams through our atmosphere and beyond, and bouncing them back again. Like most forms of pollution we rarely SEE the effects. We donāt SEE the beams bashing around 24/7/365, but we are ALL complicit in this activity and getting even more active and even reliant on it.
I believe this all comes under the general heading of PHYSICS? Which indicates to my poor old brain that this is indeed āphysicalā, and not āmagicalā.
I donāt see it as being in the slightest bit illogical to make the association, even though I would be totally incapable of holding a technological argument. But in my view there is a lot of theoretical evidence to suggest that by buggering up the atmosphere(s) inevtaibly this will affect our food chain, climate and futures.
Peter 100% with you on this issue - as I might add are every single one of my friends in the 70+ bracket around the world.
His legal team have requested a legal review of the
case against him.
Interesting times.
According to the Independent report heās challenging the summons and asking for judicial review.
I must say that I though that was the point of the previous review.
It does illustrate that those with deep pockets can ultimately avoid this sort of prosecution by wearing the other side down financially.
Well, I can expect that many others will come to fund the private prosecution.
I donāt think that he has that deep pockets, he is getting divorced after all.
BoJoās earnings are quite substantial so I doubt heāll have any trouble funding his legal costs.
It depends what you call substantial.
I expect his legal advisors earnings are also quite substantial.
He earns (or gets) around Ā£500k a year.
I would certainly draw the line at āearnsāā¦
Case has been thrown out, Boris for PM!
Ggrrrrrrrr!!!
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Hate to say I told you soā¦
Nothing to do with deep pockets though, simple point of law.
Havenāt seen the announcement, what was the reason given?
However you will recall I didnāt think it would prevail on legal merits, not just Borisās ability to fund his defence.
Reasons to follow.