Len Hockey, Unite Barts secretary
Following the announcement the Monday after the general election that the NHS is “broken”, New Labour health minister Wes Streeting has announced an ‘independent’ (from the working class) investigation into it with the remit to ask “hard [for the working class] questions”.
Streeting has brought former Blairite ‘privatising’ health minister Alan Milburn into his team, who has relationships with big private health companies. Streeting has condemned an alleged “begging bowl” culture in our cash-starved NHS.
No surprise here, the working class can see where this is going – less money for infrastructure, pay and resources in our NHS and more reliance on private health vultures.
Health unions need to draw the necessary conclusions and prepare to mobilise now, beginning with an urgent fight for a real pay rise.
