Britain and Ireland
| DOI | 10.1111/j.1478-9302.2010.00217_5.x |
| Date | 01 September 2010 |
| Published date | 01 September 2010 |
| Subject Matter | Book Review |
B R I T A I N A N D I R E L A N D
whose indigenous socio-cultural and political institu-
Britain and Ireland
tions are at variance with liberal thought. Williams
argues further that just as liberals have consistently
Public Health and Globalisation: Why an NHS is
perceived themselves as having the best view of the
Morally Indefensible by Iain Brassington. Exeter:
world and how to change it, so too has the World
Imprint Academic, 2007. 89pp., £8.95, ISBN 978
Bank designed its ‘good governance’ programme as a
1845400
way to reconstruct socio-economic and political rela-
tions in the developing world. As a result, the Bank
In four engagingly written chapters Iain Brassington
has premised its social transformation agenda on four
presents four arguments for a public health service and
major elements that have been at the centre of liberal
shows why none of them can morally justify a national
theorising – the state, the market, civil society and the
health service. He acknowledges that states might offer
individual – and reproduced the tensions, contradic-
the best way to administer a transnational system of
tions and ambiguities inherent in how liberals concep-
health care, ‘But this is a practical argument about
tualise these elements.
management, not a moral argument in favour of the
The book is well written and very engaging. Meth-
nation being the primary unit in respect of healthcare
odologically, it succinctly examines the Bank’s lending
provision’ (p. 62).
practices, patterns of debates within the Bank, its
Brassington does not argue that it is morally wrong to
publications and interaction with borrower countries,
have a national health care service, but that it is not
and justifications as well as strategies for pursuing
morally defensible in itself.Whether defending a public
specific programmes. Williams shows that the Bank has
health care system on the basis of self-interest, human
been intensely concerned with the plight of developing
rights, a general duty or on the principle of easy rescue,
countries, but has limited the options for change
he puts it that, at root, this must include all humans.
to liberalism in ways that prioritised ideology over
Moreover, even if such an interest, right or duty could be
pragmatism. The book’s only minor weakness is that it
defended with respect to some restricted group, he puts
poorly conceptualises state sovereignty. Rather than
it that this will be a family or community or town.The
seeing the activities of the Bank in a country like
national community is too large and has no relevance to
Ghana as undermining its internal sovereignty, the act
health care or to interests, rights or duties of health care.
of allowing the Bank to be involved in social transfor-
Brassington contrasts the prices of procedures offered
mation in a country can be seen as an expression of the
free in Britain, like IVF, with those of basic items
sovereign authority of that state within a broader
needed in sub-Saharan Africa, like mosquito nets. In an
multi-level governance arrangement, in which the
ideal world, Brassington agrees, we would spend money
Bank and developing countries impact on each other
on all these things, but the world is not ideal, and
in several ways. Nonetheless, the book is a great success
‘Spending quite as much as we do on healthcare in the
and will be of interest to senior undergraduate students
UK, and as little as we do on healthcare overseas, is
of liberalism, development studies and international
indefensible’ (p. 86).
political economy, and a broader audience interested in
Perhaps he could have engaged with more counter-
the origins and politics of the ‘good governance’
arguments and provided a more nuanced discussion of
mantra.
the work of the others that he cites. But Brassington’s
argument is simple, uncluttered and clear, and from this
Michael Whyte Kpessa
it derives its strength. In the form he has chosen, the
(University of Saskatchewan)
author shows that there is something morally uncom-
fortable with offering such extensive health care pro-
vision as the British NHS does while neglecting the
We welcome short reviews of books in all areas of
enormous health care needs of people elsewhere in the
politics and international relations. For guidelines
world because they happen to sit on another side of
on submitting reviews, and to see an up-to-date
the national boundary.
listing of books available for review, please visit
http://www.politicalstudiesreview.org/.
Tendayi Bloom
(Queen Mary University of London)
© 2010 The Authors. Journal compilation © 2010 Political Studies Association
Political Studies Review: 2010, 8(3)
B O O K R E V I E W S
423
The
Blair
Identity: Leadership
and
Foreign
The UK Parliament by Moyra Grant. Edinburgh:
Policy by Stephen Benedict Dyson. Manchester:
Edinburgh University Press, 2009. 230pp., £12.99,
Manchester University Press,...
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