A
candidate for head of the GMB union launched a savage verbal attack on health
secretary Alan Milburn, and accused him of being "in the pockets" of
private companies.
North
East GMB leader Kevin Curran, who is seeking to succeed general secretary John
Edmonds, criticised Milburn for his part in the Government’s Health and Social
Care Bill.
The
bill – which will allow some hospitals to become semi-independent trusts – came
under fire from Curran, who described it as "mad, bad and dangerous".
He
claimed Milburn had caved in to lobbying from the private healthcare sector,
and that the bill was the first step towards privatisation.
