Someone else's baby
'MY LORDS, bye-bye, and Members of the House of Commons, my government Will continue with economic policies designed to build stability. Productivity will be improved by measures addressing competition. A bill will be introduced to replace the National Health Service's internal market, which Put hospitals, doctors and nurses in competition with each other.' Except for the sotto voce farewell, these leaden words come straight from the Queen's Speech this week, and show what her ministers think of compel' tion. It is good, they think, for other people. In their own back yard and in the NHS, with its seven-figure payroll and its £37 billion budget, competition would be out of place. So it must be stamped out, however desta- bilising that may be. Much of the Briusb economy is still outside the scope of comPe" tition and choice, and Her Majesty's refor01" ing ministers intend to keep it that We' They would agree with Lord Mancroft that monopolies are like babies: you don't Care for them until you have one of your own.
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