Rupert Murdoch and the jab - what ?!?

It just grated me, and many many more- that someone like him should be in the first wave of priority for the vaccine- has someone who has done do much to damage this country and to avoid paying taxes here. (unless anyone can tell me that he does indeed pay tax here on his massive fortune).

It matters not a jot, biba, the NHS is free at the point of delivery and no-one is asked if they have evaded or avoided paying tax.

It's amazing that so many posters appear to be defending Rupert Murdoch!

But, of course, we are not defending Murdoch but are defending the rights of older people in England to receive the vaccine as they are the most at risk and the wonderful NHS , free at the point of delivery to all whether rich or poor.

Of course, in my country, healthcare workers are receiving the vaccine first and I am happy about that.

Baggs

Haters love to squawk.

Baggs

I suspect age and UK residence have more to do with his eligibility than anything else, biba.

Yes.

not if he is a USA resident- aka an illegal immigrant. He cannot be treated under the NHS unless he is a legal resident and tax payer.

Clearly wrong then.

we have such a limited number of jabs for 85 and over - 10s of 1000s will not be getting them

Do you have evidence for this statement?

biba70

we have such a limited number of jabs for 85 and over - 10s of 1000s will not be getting them- and are at much higher risk than Murdoch living in such privileged circumstances. These over 85s in poor communities and Care Homes are at a much much higher risk of catching Covid, and passing it on.

He is setting an excellent example
"I strongly encourage people around the world to get the vaccine," he is quoted as saying.
Rupert Murdoch, 89, has received his COVID-19 vaccination.
He was vaccinated at his local general practitioner surgery "after he received a call saying he was eligible “ according to a statement provided by a News Corp representative on his behalf. "He has been isolating in the U.K. since the summer, with his wife Jerry Hall.
Murdoch in the statement thanked the National Health Service (NHS), the publicly-funded healthcare system in the United Kingdom
He is eligible, so put your pearls down again and let’s not be insular.

That's just one more thing that's great about Great Britain biba; we're making sure that everyone gets the vaccine, whether they're an "illegal immigrant" or not. It's to everyone's benefit, wouldn't you agree?

If murdoch having the jab encourages any of the “I’m going to wait and see “ brigade then it is fine by me!

we have such a limited number of jabs for 85 and over - 10s of 1000s will not be getting them- and are at much higher risk than Murdoch living in such privileged circumstances. These over 85s in poor communities and Care Homes are at a much much higher risk of catching Covid, and passing it on.

He has, apparently, not paid tax in UK since 1988.

So do I 100%.

It just grated me, and many many more- that someone like him should be in the first wave of priority for the vaccine- has someone who has done do much to damage this country and to avoid paying taxes here. (unless anyone can tell me that he does indeed pay tax here on his massive fortune).

It is not available privately.
www.manchestereveningnews.co.uk/news/uk-news/you-able-buy-coronavirus-vaccine-19260068
Professor Van-Tam
The deputy chief medical officer for England said he believed a vaccine should be distributed according to clinical priority rather than allowing the wealthy to be able to pay privately to jump the queue.

He told the briefing: “I am a doctor and I have worked in the NHS for many years.

"One of the things I like about the NHS is that it’s there for everybody, irrespective of their level of wealth or who they are in society. That’s a really important principle to me, personally.”
“I am giving you my views as a clinician that I think these vaccines need to be prioritised to those who need them, not those who can afford to pay for them privately.”

I agree with him.

Added to which, he is a high profile 89 year old, so having the vaccine may encourage others who are reluctant to come forward and have theirs.

I'd rather he was vaccinated than risk catching the virus and passing it on.

He does live here, he hasn't just popped over from overseas to have the vaccine then go again.

Haters love to squawk.

Illegal immigrants will be vaccinated, it's in our interests.

I’m not sure why this is an issue as he lives in the U.K., he has residency rights and a U.K. GP?

I suspect age and UK residence have more to do with his eligibility than anything else, biba.

i think it is in all our interests for as many people as possible to have the vaccine.
anyone can be infected, and anyone can be a vector to carry and pass infection to the rest of us, pauper or prince is irrelevant in this context.

From ukreuters.com:

"The 89-year-old executive chairman of Wall Street Journal owner News Corp and chairman of Fox News’s Fox Corp received the vaccine at his local doctor’s office in Britain on Wednesday after being told he was eligible, a spokeswoman confirmed on Friday."

So somebody in Britain thinks Murdoch was eligible for the vaccine, it seems.

If he is currently in the UK then he's entitled to the vaccine - after all this is a pandemic!

Should we let him catch the virus and take up an ITU bed?

NO they do NOT have a different status- not in the eyes of the NHS.

And NO his wife's citizenship is neither here nor there- at all.

Is he, or is he not- 'ordinarily resident and tax payer' in the UK? If not, NO he is NOT entitled to NHS vaccines.

I'm afraid you're wrong biba79 - the super rich do things differently.

And being a USA resident doesn't make him an illegal immigrant!

As I said, the super-rich have a different status. In any event, his wife Jerry Hall, is surely a UK citizen by now having been here for around 40 years, so that also give him a certain status.

So he could be treated by a UK GP as a private patient- but he would not be entitled to NHS vaccines, operations or prescriptions, etc.