well unfortunately I can't give you any statistics but I felt at the time that it unleashed wholescale and unnecessary panic. Not all farms were guilty and there seemed to be no discernment in the judgement that eggs were principally dangerous. My friend's farm animals were all free range.

Tiggywink I am sorry to hear what happen to your friend's flock.

People might be interested in this article from The Telegraph in 2001.

The whole thing was handled badly, but essentially Edwina was right in saying there was a risk to public health. Later she started the National Egg Awareness Campaign and we ended up with introduction of the Red Lion Quality Code of Practice - that included dates being stamped on eggs again! These days the risk is from caterers or companies using imported eggs in their products, but a British egg is safe.

The media has a lot to answer for. Food scares are almost a daily occurrence, but the media chooses which ones to run with. The reason might be nothing to do with public health, but more to do with politics. Either way the results can be devastating to the farming community.

IIRC it was also Edwina that raised the issue of the risk to pregnant woman of the Listeria bacteria from eating soft cheese. I think most pregnant women avoid soft cheese these days.

Was it a trick or a cock up? I thought it was the latter.

I feel she did do good in her role as Minister of Public Health, she isn't perfect, but I don't think I've met someone who is! Look forward to seeing her on the show

This is true to an extent..but did she genuinely "jump the gun"? The reason I ask is, imagine if she had just stayed where she was, how would this little set-up have panned out?

The only possible way I can see it is that Bruce would have told Artem to step back and join the other boys, leaving Edwina standing there even longer while Bruce re-built the tension of who is she going to get. As this would have been even more awkward than what took place, I am lead to believe that Edwina may even have been in on the clearly very-rehearsed "joke". Plus she's quite self-deprecating so wouldn't have minded make a bit of a fool of herself.

Just a theory....

Edwina didn't say there was a risk to public health. What she said was "Most of the egg production in this country sadly is now infected with salmonella." Did she have evidence to substantiate that?

Theories are all well and good, but that's all that they are - theories based upon a subjective analysis and an element of guesswork. In other words, we don't really know what would have been planned or what would have happened.

A cock up I'd say and then a cover up.


I think that is answered in the last four paragraphs of the article. The risk to public health was implied. The point is she wasn't wrong and I say that as a like long Labour supporter. I thought she was a decent health minister even if she was only a junior.

Hence why we have discussion forums to discuss such things....

I'll be content when she dances her way into opprobium instead.

Because she was highly opinionated. And her opinions were often controversial.

For example:
[LIST][*]Her statement in 1987 that "Good Christian people will not get AIDS"?[*]Her advice to old people in winter who couldn't afford to both eat and heat themselves, to wrap up warm?[*]Her comment that Northerners die of ignorance and chips?[/LIST]

What MP's opinions arent CONTREVERSIAL in all your eyes (rolls eyes :P)

It's what they would have wanted.

Hundreds of them. The ones who aren't insanely-publicity-hogging, but do their job competently.

Edwina Currie was best known specifically because she expressed controversial opinions. That was pretty much her USP, in the same way that Widdecombe's USP was "bigotted religious fundamentalist".

Actually, no it's not. The last four paragraphs are Edwina trying to justify her statement by claiming egg producers were beastly to her.

My point is that there is a massive difference between her statement and what the report which she based it on actually says. In fact a paragraph in the article which reads


makes exactly the same point. And I say that, not on political grounds, but as somebody who has worked in health research and evidence based healthcare for 20 years.

I'm not going to try and argue with someone who sounds like they have a better understanding this kind of thing. All I know it what I read in the media - in this case the Tory media (). I'm no Edwina fan and can't stand Tell All books, but as a Health Minister she didn't seem all bad. I suspect she may have been a bit of a man eater and/or a ball breaker. Is she an attention seeker? Certainly she was, but my guess is that she's been a bit quieter in recent years for the sake of her family. One can only hope.

I actually bought her memoirs! Making a face like Louis Walsh now when Simon Cowell accused Girls Aloud of never singing live to myself here while thinking I deserve props for this! Did you ever see that by the way?

She was a bit before my time in the 80's plus cameras where not allowed in the House Of Commons until around 1990 anyway by which time she was out of Government, but she is quite a strong/straight speaker, quite opinionated which isn't a bad thing in politics.

Also as you have probably heard, she let John Major have his wicked way with her! She reffered to him as "B" in her memoirs and somehow the media found out that meant John Major! They didn't say how they worked that out, though John Major was once caught out calling 3 of his Cabinet Members "the 3 bastards" so maybe it was some sort of backhanded refrence to that ( ) or maybe she told them in a promo event of the book!

Might be an idea to wiki her, I might do so myself but as usual to much to do.