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American Morning

'Over There'

Aired January 25, 2002 - 07:40   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
JACK CAFFERTY, CNN ANCHOR: We travel now across the park to Britain for a weekly segment that we have smartly titled, "Over There." Aren't we clever? Each Friday we will look at the hot headlines in England in with our guide and correspondent and all around really cool dude, CNN's Richard Quest.

Richard joins us now. And I got to start here with the English exporting their sick to France. What are you getting in return? What's that about?

RICHARD QUEST, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Jack, how would you feel if you went to the doctor and he said, "Yeah, well you've got a bad back," or "a bad knee," or a bad something or other, Jack. "You're going to go to Canada to have your operation." Well, the English National Health Service is basically on its last legs and looking a bit sickly itself -- needs more than a tonic. So a big story in Britain has been how the government has finally given in and has decided that English patients can go to the rest of the European Union to get a cure.

Now in Britain, of course, everybody thinks that it's the best in the whole wide world. So it comes as a bit of a shock. For example, here is the paper -- it comes from "The Times" of this week. What we've got here is good old Bobby Stanage (ph), age 62, who is a poor old dear being wheeled onto a train before being shunted across the channel to Paris in France, where he was going to have, I believe -- I think -- oh, she was going to have a knee replacement. It's been real scandal, because nobody likes to think that their health service isn't that good.

And what the British government is basically having to do is pay hundreds of millions to actually send our sick abroad. It beats what we used to do in previous centuries, of course, when we used to send our convicts to the other side of the world, Jack.

CAFFERTY: All right, well better to send them to France than here to the United States, Richard. We appreciate it.

Now, on to the queen's golden jubilee. The last time the queen came up in conversation here on AMERICAN MORNING I almost got fired before I got hired because I said something to the effect of "That when you're in England, it's a good idea to suck up to the queen if that opportunity presents itself." We had some of our executives over there touring the CNN... QUEST: Hey, hey.

CAFFERTY: ... Bureau, and I think you were there -- were you not, that day?

QUEST: I was indeed. And this is all about -- but you be very careful. Watch you language, young man. The -- basically, her majesty has been on the thrown for 50 years coming up this July the fourth. Funny, the celebrations are on July the fourth. Interesting note. And when, you know, you (UNINTELLIGIBLE) kicked us out, we're now celebrating 50 years. But, anyway, let old friends don't argue about the past.

More importantly, her majesty's silver jubilee back in 1977 was a very well-attended affair. There were street parties, bunting (ph) was put out; basically, everybody had a jolly good time. And there had been hopes that the queen's golden jubilee would be the same. Unfortunately, it's turning into a bit of a damp squid, because what's happened is there's an $1,100 license to close off your street for a street party. You've got to have insurance these days. We're almost as litigious as you in the United States.

So, by in large, street parties and the general -- and, of course, let's not forget the weddings and marriages of her daughters and sons that have all ended in tears. No, it's not going to be celebrated, which is a bit of a shame. Because I was a mere slip of a lad when the queen's silver jubilee came along. And on a day trip to London, look at this fine specimen that I picked up for the princely sum of $2. It now hangs in a very important room in my apartment. It's my silver jubilee mirror. You don't get many like that, do you these days? I kept hoping it was going to go up in value.

And, if you had any doubts about my royal connections, not only does this hang in the smallest room in the house, but as you alluded to just a moment ago, the queen visited us here at CNN -- Jack.

CAFFERTY: And I'm sure a memorable visit for her it was. Oh, here we are. Here are the pictures here with the -- that's Walter Isaacson on the right of your television screen. Of course, that would be the queen in the middle in the green. And there you are. What were you saying at that point, Richard?

QUEST: And there's -- I don't know. But more than one person has pointed out that the queen looked like she was sucking a lemon when she was listening to me.

CAFFERTY: You don't know what you were saying to the queen? Come on.

QUEST: Look, etiquette, (UNINTELLIGIBLE), you really got -- you don't get it, do you? It's between me and her.

CAFFERTY: Oh, a private conversation. Richard, it's a pleasure to see you again, my friend. We'll look forward to these little weekly visits on AMERICAN MORNING. Thank you very much. Richard Quest, from London. QUEST: Thanks.

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