Russell and Carol - hayle and hearty

"
People in this country are disillusioned by a two-party system that thrives on despair. Politicians may regret spending their lives convincing their constituents that nothing will change. Instead, they should inspire some hope that a more equal world is possible.
”

—Jeremy Corbyn January 2025

Privatisation does not save money for the NHS. It diverts money away from the NHS. This is the very same NHS that will end up delivering the expanded care. It is NHS staff – and NHS resources – that will provide the private sector’s “spare capacity”. This is what Dr. Tony O’Sullivan, co-chair of Keep Our NHS Public means when he says that “feeding the parasite undermines the health of the NHS host”.

Privatisation rests on an illusion that their services are provided out of thin air, hiding the human and economic cost required to satisfy the private sector’s endless greed.

Above all, Labour’s plans betray the foundational purpose of the NHS: to provide healthcare for everyone irrespective of their status of wealth. The rationing of services creates a two-tiered system; those who can afford it can access the treatment they need, while the poorest are left to languish on rising waiting lists.

Private providers are routinely accused of cherry-picking their patients, serving those with less complex needs and leaving the NHS with patients who require more time and care. Expanding the market for the private sector hollows out a service that is meant to guarantee a comprehensive service for all.

Meanwhile, the government wonders why they are overseeing an unprecedented rise in support for far-right parties and personalities. Whether it’s maintaining the two-child benefit cap, cutting winter fuel or selling off our NHS, this government is abandoning working-class people, one broken pledge at a time.