The British NHS

Those that know me well are aware that I have had to have some tests and procedures carried out over the past 8 months or so. Thankfully, I am fine, but it has been difficult fitting in appointments while I am back in the UK. I wanted to write this post to show my appreciation of the collective British National Health Service. I know that many people complain about the NHS for many reasons but as a British citizen I am extremely proud of it and think it is one of the best things about our country.

During the Second World War there were agreements that post-war, "a complete health service to be available to every member of the community" should be set up. After the war and under Clement Attlee's Labour government, The National Health Service Act was passed in 1946, and the rest they say is history. Even though they have been several reforms to the NHS over the decades that have since passed, the service remains largely free to anyone and everyone. Some people may not agree with free healthcare, but personally, and having lived in a country where I had to pay for my own healthcare, I think it is a service that should be available to everyone in the world. After all, isn't health a basic human right. The World Health Organisation Constitution states:

"the enjoyment of the highest attainable standard of health is one of the fundamental rights of every human being..."

Maybe I'm an idealistic person. I just don't think that individuals or private corporations should profit from the sick and needy. Wouldn't it be nice to not have to worry about insurance or possible medical bills every time you travel. I am not saying you have to agree with me, but to all the British people that read this, please be thankful of the NHS we have, as trust me, I'm sure you would complain a lot more if the NHS was abolished.

It wouldn't be Britain without a nice cuppa!

St. George's Day

Today is St. George's Day, England's national day to celebrate all that is English and it's patron saint. Yet, how many people actually celebrate. Unlike our fellow nations of the UK, who celebrate their respective patron saints, we in England usually let this day go by without even a thought. Why is this?

Nice work Google!

I believe it may be that a lot of us feel or are made to feel ashamed of our English past and imperialistic ways, and think celebrating this is inappropriate. Is it because the idea of some sort of English collective togetherness doesn't exist anyone? I am very proud to be from the North of England but what do I have in common with someone from Essex, for example. Maybe, the nation of England is too diverse for a common nationalistic empathy, or perhaps we only feel this when we are faced with adversity, or England manage to reach the later stages of a sporting World Cup (here's wishing).

Whatever you feel about this national day here are some facts you may or may not know:

• Despite the fact that St George has been England’s patron saint since the 14th century, a recent survey showed that only one in five people know that St George’s Day falls on April 23.

•  A popular custom in bygone years was for people to wear a red rose in their button hole, the national flower for the national day.

•  St George’s flag was adopted by Richard The Lion Heart and brought to England in the 12th century. Soldiers wore it on their tunics to avoid confusion in battle.

•  St George is also considered a martyr in Islam as well as Christianity.

•  Not only is there no evidence that St George ever slayed a dragon (which seems unlikely), there’s very little evidence he ever existed at all. If he did, he was probably born in what is now modern-day Turkey, to a Turkish father serving in the Roman army and a Palestinian mother.

• St. George is said to have been beheaded for resigning his military post and protesting against his pagan leader, the Emperor Diocletian (245-313 AD), who led Rome’s persecution of Christians.

• Aside from England, other countries that celebrate St. George’s Day include Canada, Croatia, Portugal, Cyprus, Greece, Georgia, Serbia, Bulgaria, Romania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, and the Republic of Macedonia.

Rest in peace Mrs. Thatcher

Like many people in Britain today, I have been following the news about the death of Baroness Thatcher. I wasn't sure if writing a blog post was a good idea but I felt compelled to write something about this extraordinary woman, after all, regardless of your political standing, you can't argue against the fact that she shaped British politics and has had a lasting effect (good and/or bad) on the state of the United Kingdom as we know it today.

 

Growing up in a Conservative constituency and from a family that did benefit from some of her government's policies, I have always had a lot of respect for Mrs. Thatcher. In a political world ran by men she made her voice heard and will go down as one of the most powerful women in modern history. It was only as I became older and started to study politics that I began to see the kinks in her neo-liberalism armour.

It has been over 20 years since Thatcher was in office and yet many people in the UK still have deep wounds and dislike for Britain's first female Prime Minister. Hindsight gives us the ability now to evaluate her politics. What you can't contest with is the democratic process that re-elected her to power during her time as PM, winning a landslide victory in 1983 and a majority in 1987. Whether you liked her or not, the electorate still voted for her, even through the troubled times many British people were facing.

I expect to get a few negative comments about writing this post, however much I have tried to keep it away from discussing political views. I, myself, have mixed opinions but nevertheless I hope that 'The Iron Lady' will be allowed to be laid to rest peacefully. The time for political reflection can come at a later date. A woman, a controversial woman at that has passed away, and her loved ones should be able to say goodbye to her in a dignified way. There will definitely only be one Margaret Thatcher!