23rd November 2005

HRH Tony Blair

10 Downing Street

London W1

Dear Tony,

Here are some numbers for you to get your head around.

Deaths in the UK in the last year due to Terrorist action – around 57 innocents.

Government action – new legislation passed, police with guns everywhere, tanks on the streets, people arrested, searched, and detained  indefinitely. Vast sums of money spent in the name of prevention.

Deaths in the UK in the last year due to road accidents – around 3500.

Road deaths where “excess speed is a contributory factor” – around 300. (your numbers!! – also includes the 44 killed by police vehicles)

Government action – vast sums of money spent on speed cameras, long running advertising campaigns and promotion of “Safety Partnerships” (Also lots of money into Greedy Gordon’s coffers! – it’s a common misconception that fines from speed camera convictions are ploughed back into road safety: in fact, “excess funds” over and above those necessary to cover the immediate operating costs go to the Chancellor. Since some individual speed cameras generate more than a million in revenue, with negligible costs, Gordon makes a packet.)

Deaths in NHS Hospitals in the last year due to medical errors – at least 5,000 and possibly as many as 15,000

Deaths in NHS Hospitals in the last year due to “unrelated” acquired infections – at least 5,000 and possibly as many as 15,000.

Government action – very little that we can see.

The National Audit Office figures that we have seen indicate that 10% of patients will be seriously harmed by the NHS, and 1% will be killed!

This is scary! When do you plan to sort it out?

Oh! Sorry! We forgot! You guys don’t use the NHS, do you?

Best regards