Check it out

I'm glad I discovered Don Paskini's blog - his latest posts are very sensible indeed. He quotes a CiF post from an 85 year old who has been using the NHS regularly since 1992, and reckons it's much, much better now. The same guy also says that he's much better off than he was 12 years ago, even if the last 12 months have been a bit tough.

One of my (many) sisters tells a similar story. She's been using the NHS regularly - i.e. appointments every few months at various different hospitals - over the past 30 years, and she says she notices the incremental improvements on every visit. She also has two sons: one is off to university soon; the other is at infant school. Same place, 12 years later; she says the change in education is phenomenal.

I'm not for one moment saying everything is perfect; of course it's not. But the investment in public services is paying off. Pensioners are better off, even with rising fuel bills and above inflation council tax rises. It would be absolutely tragic if we throw all that away at the next election. Which is why I haven't been answering the phone to journalists today.