Numerous public workers – including doctors, nurses, teachers, firefighters, and lawyers – have congregated en-masse on social media using the #PublicDuty hashtag to warn the general public about the devastation that five more years under a Conservative Party government would cause to the UK’s public services.
Several of the tweets using the #PublicDuty hashtag have already garnered tens of thousands of retweets – all of which share the same message that, in order to save Britain’s cherished public services such as schools and hospitals, the British public should not vote for the Conservative Party.
Clive Peedell, an NHS Cancer Specialist, was one of the first Public Servants to use the hashtag, where he urged the British public:
“As a NHS cancer specialist, it’s my #publicduty to inform the public that the #NHS cannot withstand another five years of the Tories. We are at breaking point.
So are teachers, social workers, the police, prison officers, carers….#generalelection2019″
As a NHS cancer specialist, it’s my #publicduty to inform the public that the #NHS cannot withstand another five years of the Tories. We are at breaking point.
So are teachers, social workers, the police, prison officers, carers….#generalelection2019— Clive Peedell (@cpeedell) October 29, 2019
Whilst Rachel Clarke, an NHS Palliative Care Doctor, stated that:
“As an NHS palliative care doctor, it’s my #publicduty to inform the public that 9 years of brutal underfunding have run the NHS into the ground. We want to care for you brilliantly but we are at breaking point. The NHS won’t survive another 5 years of this.”
As an NHS palliative care doctor, it’s my #publicduty to inform the public that 9 years of brutal underfunding have run the NHS into the ground. We want to care for you brilliantly but we are at breaking point. The NHS won’t survive another 5 years of this.
#GeneralElection2019— Rachel Clarke (@doctor_oxford) November 3, 2019
And Simon Lewis, an NHS Mental Health clinician, warned that:
“As an NHS Child & Adolescent Mental Health clinician it is my #publicduty to inform you that Tory policies have both increased levels of mental health problems and damaged services that support the vulnerable. Unless we vote them out our children and families will suffer more.”
As an NHS Child & Adolescent Mental Health clinician it is my #publicduty to inform you that Tory policies have both increased levels of mental health problems and damaged services that support the vulnerable. Unless we vote them out our children and families will suffer more.
— Dr Simon Lewis (he/him) (@expertlewis) October 30, 2019
The tweets weren’t just limited to NHS staff, and also included desperate pleas from teachers and school staff.
Louise Gray, a Primary School teacher, summed up the dire state of education under Tory rule and warned against a vote for them, stating:
“As a teacher in primary education it is my #publicduty to inform you that schools cannot withstand another five years of a Conservative government. I regularly buy resources for the children in my class so that we can function properly.
We are running on fumes.”
As a teacher in primary education it is my #publicduty to inform you that schools cannot withstand another five years of a Conservative government. I regularly buy resources for the children in my class so that we can function properly.
We are running on fumes.— Louise Gray (@louise1580) November 3, 2019
Whilst Sarah, a Secondary School teacher, tweeted:
“As a secondary school teacher it is my #publicduty to inform you that schools cannot survive another 5 years of #ConservativeParty rule. We have lost #teachers, TAs, support staff, photocopying, glue, paper, music, drama… #toriesout #NEU #stopthecuts children suffer.”
As a secondary school teacher it is my #publicduty to inform you that schools cannot survive another 5 years of #ConservativeParty rule. We have lost #teachers, TAs, support staff, photocopying, glue, paper, music, drama… #toriesout #NEU #stopthecuts children suffer.
— Sarah (@sisterfreak) November 3, 2019
There was also a firefighter, Andrew Scattergood, who stated:
“As a Firefighter, it’s my #PublicDuty to inform you that after a decade of Tories, the fire service has been decimated. 12000 Firefighters axed and 100’s of stations and fire engines scrapped. The result? An over stretched and under resourced emergency service. You are less safe.”
As a Firefighter, it’s my #PublicDuty to inform you that after a decade of Tories, the fire service has been decimated. 12000 Firefighters axed and 100’s of stations and fire engines scrapped. The result? An over stretched and under resourced emergency service. You are less safe.
— Andrew Scattergood (@AJScattergood) November 3, 2019
And there was an architect, who warned of the possibility of a repeat of the Grenfell Tower disaster, should the Tories be elected into office again:
“As an Architect working in the construction industry it is my #publicduty duty to inform you that the Tories have done nothing to resolve the regulatory flaws and local government cuts that allowed the #GrenfellTower disaster to happen and that hundreds of towers still at risk.”
As an Architect working in the construction industry it is my #publicduty duty to inform you that the Tories have done nothing to resolve the regulatory flaws and local government cuts that allowed the #GrenfellTower disaster to happen and that hundreds of towers still at risk.
— Magnieboy (@Magnieboy) November 3, 2019
And there was a lawyer, who warned:
“As a fighter for justice (aka lawyer) I have a #Publicduty to inform you that the UK as we know it, the NHS and democracy, cannot survive another 5 years of the #Conservatives.
When the PM is someone we can’t trust and is hiding a report re Russia, you know it’s broken.”
https://twitter.com/LPrivileged/status/1191317052969107456?s=20
And there was a former Social Worker, who claimed that:
“As a recently retired social care professional it is #publicduty to inform you that children will not be safe in the community or in care if there are 5 more years of the Tories or a Tory/ LibDem coalition. Their cuts kill”
As a recently retired social care professional it is #publicduty to inform you that children will not be safe in the community or in care if there are 5 more years of the Tories or a Tory/ LibDem coalition. Their cuts kill https://t.co/wkBeordC9m
— Dave Fry (@davesatwitspur) November 3, 2019
And there was a Housing Officer, who stated:
“As a housing officer looking after the public, it is my #publicduty to inform you that people have had enough of Tory austerity and bedroom Tax. They’ve had enough of benefit caps and cuts to the disabled. They’ve had enough of the tories and #UniversalCredit. Enough is enough.”
As a housing officer looking after the public, it is my #publicduty to inform you that people have had enough of Tory austerity and bedroom Tax. They've had enough of benefit caps and cuts to the disabled. They've had enough of the tories and #UniversalCredit. Enough is enough.
— David Draper (@LittleDavey1978) November 3, 2019
Despite the General Election campaign only officially getting underway today, the #PublicDuty hashtag has already seen thousands of tweets from virtually every sector of public servant, with hundreds of thousands of Twitter users sharing their warnings against a Tory government.
Since 2010, the Conservative Party have slashed budgets to public services under their austerity policies, and Britain’s cherished public servants appear to be virtually unanimous that electing a Tory government will simply result in even further devastation to our schools, hospitals, fire service and other essential public services – and that it could even hammer the final nail in the coffin for many of them.
