@ Robert 15.52“The BMA is out of control.”The Chair of the BMA is Dr Tom Dolphin who is both militant and political, a combination which is at odds with his profession. When the previous strike (17-22 December) was announced he denied he was using the junior doctors to pursue a political cause.Interestingly though Dolphin acted as the agent for Dawn Butler, the leftwing Labour MP for Brent East, at the 2017, 2019 and 2024 general elections, chaired Butler’s constituency Labour party and applied to be a candidate in 2024 but was not shortlisted.“My political career isn’t the relevant thing here,” Dolphin said. “I’m here representing a trade union. Trade unions are a force for good in society. They’re about workers coming together to demand fair treatment. They’re why we’ve got paid sick leave and paid maternity leave. They’re why we’ve got safety regulations at work. They’re why we’ve even got the weekend. And I’m here representing a trade union. That’s the purpose of me being here.’Perhaps Dolphin should leave the NHS because he obviously doesn’t have a strong commitment to its patients. Maybe he could copy the route of the gobby shop-steward Ginge and achieve his political dream that way.
Sue Hammond ● 20d