I would if I could, Steve, but I think the PPI has facilitated much of today's NHS problems: many of the contracts run for 25 years, and the opportunity costs of the billions spent on "experts" and restructuring, the increased rental charges of buildings given to or built in the public sector, the cronies putting cash from our taxes into their arse pockets at the expense of the working conditions, particularly of lower paid NHS workers, these things don't end when the government changes - but may well whet the appetites of Tory vultures for more of the same. I won't be able to answer how much of the disgraceful state of the NHS is due to whom, and I trust the Tories even less, but I think that a lot of the groundwork was courtesy of New Labour. Several friends who voted for Blair felt shafted and left the NHS, mostly nurses and one with 15 years of midwifery experience.

I agree with your view of the state of the NHS, but my father's utterly contemptible treatment in his last years - a veteran of Monte Cassino with parts of his lung left at Tossignano - was in the middle of a New Labour restructuring. So perhaps I'm biased - and I sincerely hope that you are not currently experiencing the level of care my dad received.

I'd like to think that today's Labour party would improve the NHS, but then I'd love to open the bowling for Lancashire County Cricket Club, something that I think is far more likely to happen.

And I thought I could read opinions without engaging in the polemics, but it seems I can't. Bugger. Hey, Arsenal are doing well this season, aren't they?