Scots band Franz Ferdinand show support for NHS on Andrew Marr
Franz Ferdinand were the musical guests on today’s Andrew Marr Show with drummer Paul Thomson sporting a tshirt with a prominent NHS logo. The five-piece, promoting their fifth album Always Ascending, closed the programme with a live performance of new song Paper Cages.
While the prime minister’s pre-recorded interview with Marr made most headlines, the group’s NHS statement did not go unnoticed on social media with many fans sending messages of support.
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Hide Ad“Thank you for standing - or drumming - for our NHS and all the brilliant staff who work so hard to save lives,” one person said on Twitter. But another commented: “Trolling May would have been more effective if she hadn’t prerecorded the interview.”
Thomson, originally from Edinburgh, later said on social media that he had been accused of being a “politicised celebrity”. Explaining his sartorial choice, he added: “I didn’t give it that much thought, I wear it for decorating so it’s got paint all over it. All the normals on Twitter are beside themselves. So weird.”
Appearing on the Marr programme, the prime minister acknowledged more needs to be done for the NHS before claiming that funding is not the sole issue facing the service.
Mrs May added thousands of cancelled operations were “part of the plan” amid concerns over the NHS in England’s struggles to cope with mounting winter pressures.
She sidestepped questions on long-term funding as she faced Andrew Marr, who said he would not be interviewing her if he had experienced the same delays following his stroke as others have encountered.
The pair traded blows over the state of the health service’s finances while Labour warned any promotion of Health Secretary Jeremy Hunt would be a “betrayal” of patients.
Mrs May reiterated her claim that the NHS has been better prepared for this year’s winter pressures before adding: “You mentioned operations being postponed - that was part of the plan.