Putting your money where your mouth is.

One of the reasons why the educational standards in most comprehensive schools are so poor compared with the private sector is that the opinion makers, the politicians, the great and the good, and the well-off do not use them.

Never mind sending Princes William and Harry to a state school. If there were no private schools and the chattering middle-classes were compelled to use comprehensive schools, something would be done about the standards.

The same applies to the NHS. As it dumbs down more and more, private health insurance goes from being a luxury for the chosen few to being an essential for all who can afford it.

You do not see politicians sitting in accident or emergency departments, waiting their turn.

Or do you?

I draw your attention to an excellent web-site that has appeared recently. The mission statement is simple. Get your MP to undertake always to use the National Health Service.

"We know what makes good healthcare. Quick access; committed care; clean, comfortable surroundings. But what happends if you can't get them? If you've the money, you buy better. That is an affront to every progressive value we believe in."

Rt Hon Tony Blair, Labour Party conference Brighton, 27 September 2005

Quite, Tony. So lets get a pledge from the great and the good to start using the NHS.

ourpetition.org has a simple mission statement:

"The most effective way for ordinary citizens to ensure NHS reform will be successful is to make certain that those who are responsible for creating the public health system voluntarily agree to exclusively use the same system, without opt-out, in their own medical treatment and in the medical treatment of their immediate families. This is only possible if the issue is put on the political agenda prior to the next general election."

Like all brilliant ideas, pleasingly simple. Look at their website here

Ask your MP to sign the petition. Let us know if he declines.