Back bench MP continues to show party leader what opposition looks like
Labour MP Jon Trickett has again shown Labour ‘leader’ Keir Starmer what opposition looks like. While front-benchers have said little about – or even welcomed – the Tories’ plans to complete the privatisation of the NHS, the Yorkshire back-bencher has tabled an Early Day Motion highlighting the damage the ‘NHS White Paper’ will do and demanding a u-turn. The motion reads:
That this House expresses dismay at the Government’s White Paper, The Future of Health and Care, published on 11 February 2021 which rubber stamps the US care models for the UK; notes that the Bill is a Trojan horse for deregulated privatisation and that language on integrated care championed by private health corporations is really about incentivising a reduction away from comprehensive universal provision, the NHS’ very founding principles; further notes the Bill’s only purpose is to expand private healthcare and that £113 billion has already been handed to non-NHS providers since 2010, mostly to profiteers; believes that removing competition regulation will worsen the cronyism that has taken place during the covid-19 outbreak and further hastens NHS privatisation by removing the requirement to open tender, allowing integrated care organisations to make unregulated mergers, closures and acquisitions as in the US; is concerned that the Bill will lead to the erosion of the NHS, fuelling the growth of a private health insurance industry, thus creating a two-tiered system which will accelerate health inequality; recognises that anything less than complete healthcare renationalisation is unacceptable; and welcomes the work of grassroots campaigners to raise awareness of such threats to the NHS.
So far, only seven MPs have signed – six Labour and Alba MP Kenny MacAskill. Use this form to tell your MP to sign – and don’t let them ignore it.
At least one Labour MP – along with five colleagues so far – is pointing out what the Tories are doing. Make sure it doesn’t go unnoticed.
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