Keir Starmer skewered over doctor strikes in savage attack | Politics | News
Sir Keir Starmer insisted that strikes by junior doctors this week are “irresponsible” as he faced a grilling by MPs. Tory MP Simon Hoare put it to the Prime Minister that the latest walkouts were “not actually surprising” after the Government signed off a huge pay rise last year to end previous action.
It comes as resident doctors in England will hold a five-day strike from Wednesday after members of the British Medical Association (BMA) rejected a new offer from the Government. During his appearance before the Liaison Committee, Mr Hoare asked Sir Keir: “On a scale of one to 10, how gutted are you about the BMA’s latest strike action vote?”
The PM replied: “Very gutted.”
The senior Conservative MP pressed: “Is that 10 out of 10?”
Sir Keir said: “Ten out of 10. It’s irresponsible at any time particular at the moment.
“It comes on the back of a very substantial pay increase last year. There’s a deal we put on the table that could have been taken forward and so I think it’s irresponsible action by the BMA and not for the first time.”
Mr Hoare then asked: “It may be irresponsible and I agree with you on that but it’s not actually surprising is it?
“You’ve pointed to the massive pay rise last year for which there were no productivity improvements linked at all.
“The BMA could be accused but with some justification of thinking they’ve got the Government over a barrel and you will eventually cough and sign the cheque if they shout enough?”
Sir Keir added: “Well that’s not going to happen. We’ve been really clear about that and it hasn’t happened. In terms of productivity, not withstanding the action of the BMA, in terms of waiting times and waiting lists we’ve brought them down.
“We said we’d do two million extra appointments in the first year of a Labour Government, we’ve done five million. And that’s thanks to the NHS staff.
“So even in the teeth of the BMA action we’re working on productivity and heading in the right direction. Their action now puts that in jeopardy at a time of terrible flu just before Christmas.”
