Sajid Javid: Ex-health secretary issues warning over NHS as he admits odds stacked against Tories at next election
Former health secretary Sajid Javid has warned that the NHS “won’t survive many more years” without “fundamental reforms”, urging the country to have an “honest debate” about the service.
In his only broadcast interview since announcing he would stand down at the next general election, the MP told the Beth Rigby Interviews programme that tackling the NHS was his unfinished business in politics.
And he admitted the Conservatives faced a “tough” battle to stay in power at the general election, adding: “The odds are stacked against us.”
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Mr Javid ran the Department of Health between June 2021 and July 2022, having replaced Matt Hancock after his resignation for breaking COVID guidance.
But he quit himself over the summer, having lost confidence in the then-prime minister Boris Johnson – leading to a wave of resignations that ultimately resulted in the leader’s downfall.
Speaking to Beth Rigby, Mr Javid said he would have “liked to have more time” as health secretary to look at the reforms he believes it so desperately needs.
“I don’t think the model of the NHS as it was set up some 70 years ago is sustainable for the future,” he said.
“You know that the world has changed and the NHS has not moved on with that.”
Read more: New-found freedom allows Javid to talk honestly about NHS big picture – Beth Rigby analysis
The ex-minister said “a starting point” for reform would be to look at the universal health care systems in other large European countries.
He added: “If you speak to any German you might know or French person, Italian, they have good health care systems that were also challenged by the pandemic, but they seem to all be doing better than we are.
“They are mostly funded by the taxpayer but they also have some different models.”
Sajid Javid was health secretary for just over a year, but told Beth Rigby he would have liked more time in the role
Mr Javid would not go as far to say he backed a particular model, like health insurance or those who can paying more for their care, but he welcomed “having that kind of discussion, because we need to have this honest debate as a country”.
“The moment a politician of any party says something that is obviously correct about the NHS and the challenges it faces, someone else will just jump down their throat and turn it into something else, you know, turn into the big negative,” he added.
“We all want the NHS to be there. I rely on the NHS, my family, all our loved ones, your loved ones, your viewers.
“The pressures are so immense, and the pandemic has made it doubly so, that if we as a country, if we neglect this debate now, I am afraid in my opinion after the experience I’ve had I don’t think the NHS will survive many more years on what it says on paper it has to deliver unless we start making fundamental reforms.”
‘Odds are stacked against us’
In a wide-ranging interview, the former cabinet minister also reflected on how recent political turmoil had hurt the Conservatives.
He said external issues like the war in Ukraine and the pandemic would be challenging for any government to come through.
But he also pointed to the revelations over COVID lockdown parties in Number 10, saying: “The rules were broken in Downing Street and people didn’t like that, and rightly they didn’t like that, and it hurt Boris Johnson in particular but it hurt the government at the time”.
Sajid Javid was the first minister to resign in a wave of exits that led to the downfall of Boris Johnson
“If you look at the current polling it is obvious the odds are stacked against us,” added Mr Javid. ” I think anyone would admit that, it looks tough.”
However, despite not initially backing Rishi Sunak to replace Mr Johnson – instead getting behind Liz Truss – he said Mr Sunak offered the Tories the best chance at the ballot box.
“We’ve got a fantastic prime minister in place that really gets it, is one of the smartest people, one of the most capable I have ever come across,” said Mr Javid.
“We’ve now come out with the right result and amongst all Conservative MPs we have the best possible leader we could have right now.
“[At the next election] it will be a choice between Rishi Sunak and Keir Starmer, and I think when the country is presented with that choice, people will come to the conclusion that Rishi Sunak is the right person to take us forward.”
‘Truss wasn’t up to the job’
So why did he back Ms Truss first time round?
The former chancellor said he wanted to see tax cuts, but claimed “what she actually did and how she did it were very different” to what he expected.
“I think it was obvious right from the start really she wasn’t going to be up to the job,” he said.
“The biggest challenge was the economy and if you look back… in the run up to that mini-budget the sort of fighting that was going on behind the scenes with the Bank of England I think was completely wrong.”
Sajid Javid served alongside Liz Truss in Boris Johnson’s cabinet, but tells Beth Rigby it was a ‘mistake’ to back her in the leadership contest
Mr Javid also said it was “completely wrong” to sideline the Office for Budget Responsibility when it came to her economic plans, and to fire the permanent secretary to the Treasury as soon as she took office.
“This was the gentleman, Sir Tom Scholar, who had been serving the government for three decades,” he added.
“He was my permanent secretary, he is one of the best civil servants we have in this country, and I think just treating someone like that in that way was unacceptable.
“And that is before the mini-budget and then it just got worse and worse at that point. So I think it is something that was a very bad period for our country.”
But the MP said: “I don’t think that that period, that six-week period, is going to cost us the election.”
‘A personal toll’
Asked about why he was standing down at the next election, Mr Javid told Beth Rigby “there comes a time for everyone to move on”.
But, he added: “It feels like in the last decade that politics has been on some kind of fast forward, one crises after another, one international challenge after another.
“Politicians, I think cross-party, are trying their best in that but it does take a personal toll on you as well, as me as an individual, but of course also on my family.”
Watch Beth Rigby Interviews with Sajid Javid at 9pm tonight on Sky News.
World
Hamas releases last hostages included in first phase of ceasefire – as hundreds of Palestinian prisoners are freed
Hamas has handed the last four Israeli hostage bodies that were included in the first phase of the ceasefire deal to the Red Cross.
The bodies of four Israeli men have been handed over in exchange for the release of more than 600 Palestinian prisoners.
A Red Cross convoy carrying dozens of released prisoners has been seen leaving Israel’s Ofer prison in the West Bank before arriving in the Palestinian city of Ramallah.
The group got off the bus to cheers from hundreds congregated outside, with some of the released men – clad in green jackets and keffiyehs – hoisted aloft by the crowd.
It was not immediately clear when the next detainees would be released.
Meanwhile, the office of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu confirmed the country had received the four bodies.
It said in a statement: “The coffins were handed over to the IDF at the Kerem Shalom crossing through Egyptian mediation. An initial identification process has now begun on Israeli territory.
“The families of the abductees are being continuously updated on the situation and will be given an official notification at the end of the full identification process.
“The public is asked to respect the families’ privacy and refrain from spreading rumours and information that is not official and well-founded. We will continue to update with reliable information in the future.”
The handover would complete both sides’ obligations under the Gaza ceasefire’s first phase, during which Hamas agreed to return 33 hostages, including eight bodies, in exchange for nearly 2,000 Palestinian prisoners.
Palestinian prisoners released from West Bank
Hours before the four bodies were transferred on Wednesday, the family of hostage Tsachi Idan said in a statement: “Our family has received with great sadness Hamas’s announcement that our beloved Tsachi is no longer alive and that his body will be returned to Israel during the night.”
It continued: “Since Tsachi was kidnapped, we received several signs of life, and in the previous deal last November, Tsachi was alive and expected to be released.
“We appreciate the tremendous love and support we are receiving from the citizens of Israel, the media, and the Nahal Oz community.”
The body of Tsachi Idan has been handed over. Pic: Bring Them Home
Egyptian mediators had earlier confirmed that they secured a breakthrough that would allow the handover of the final four hostage bodies due in the first phase of the deal after a days-long impasse.
Hamas said an agreement had been reached for the exchange of hostages for prisoners, but said their release would be conducted under a new mechanism.
It said the European Hospital in Khan Younis in southern Gaza was preparing to receive prisoners after their release.
Israel had previously refused to release more than 600 Palestinian prisoners and detainees on Saturday after accusing Hamas of breaching the ceasefire deal by staging what it considered an offensive public handover of hostages in Gaza.
The staged ceremonies in which living hostages and coffins containing hostage remains were displayed on stage before a crowd in Gaza drew strong criticism, including from the United Nations.
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Gaza hostage family mourned in Israel
Days earlier, the ceasefire deal which came into effect on 19 January was held up briefly when Hamas handed over the remains of an unidentified woman instead of mother-of-two Shiri Bibas before delivering the correct body the next day.
With the 42-day truce due to expire on Saturday, it also remains unclear whether an extension will be agreed or whether negotiations can begin on a second stage of the deal, which would see the release of the final 59 hostages left in Gaza.
Read more:
Trump shares bizarre AI video of Gaza vision
Brother of former hostage says he was tortured
Hamas said that, so far, it had not received any proposal for the second stage.
Despite numerous hiccups, the ceasefire deal has so far held up.
But moving to a second phase would require agreements on issues that have proved impossible to bridge in the past, including the post-war future of Gaza and Hamas, which Israel has vowed to eliminate as a governing force.
Underlining the precariousness of the ceasefire, the Israeli military said a projectile was fired from Gaza but fell within
the enclave. It said it was investigating the incident.
The exchange comes on the same day as the funeral for Ms Bibas and her two sons – four-year-old Ariel, and nine-month-old Kfir – who came to symbolise the trauma felt by many Israelis after the 7 October attack.
Donald Trump has said he will impose 25% tariffs on the EU “very soon” and claimed the bloc was “formed in order to screw the United States”.
The US president made the remarks while holding his first cabinet meeting at the White House since his inauguration in January.
The world’s richest man Elon Musk, who leads the US Department of Government Efficiency but is not a cabinet member, was among those present.
During his second term as president, Mr Trump has sparked fears of a global trade war by either imposing, or threatening to impose, high tariffs on both America’s allies and geopolitical rivals.
Earlier this month the US government imposed 25% tariffs on goods imported from Canada and Mexico and a 10% tariff on imports from China.
Beijing retaliated by imposing 10% duties on many US imports and 15% tariffs on coal and liquefied natural gas.
Meanwhile, the 25% tariffs on Mexico and Canada were paused after agreements were reached on border security.
‘They’ve taken advantage of us’
Asked whether he had made a decision about imposing tariffs on the European Union, Mr Trump said: “We have made a decision, we’ll be announcing it very soon and it will be 25% generally speaking and that will be on cars and all other things.
“The European Union is a different case than Canada, a different kind of case, they’ve really taken advantage of us in a different way.
“They don’t accept our cars, they don’t accept essentially our farm products. They use all sorts of reasons why not, and we accept everything from them, and we have about a $300bn (£237bn) deficit with the European Union.”
He added: “The European Union, it was formed in order to screw the United States.
“Let’s be honest – the European Union was formed in order to screw the United States, that’s the purpose of it, and they’ve done a good job of it, but now I’m president.”
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Putin is ‘very cunning’
Asked what he will do if the EU retaliates, Mr Trump said: “They can’t, I mean, they can try, but they can’t.”
He added: “They can retaliate, but it cannot be a successful retaliation, because we just go cold turkey, we don’t buy anymore.
“If that happens, we win.”
The threat of tariffs comes at a time of fragile relations between the US and Europe as the Trump administration appears to favour Moscow over Kyiv as it tries to bring about peace in Ukraine.
Mr Trump shocked European leaders last week by calling Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy a “dictator with no elections”.
Mr Zelenskyy accused the US president of living in a Russian-made “disinformation space”.
Read more:
Trump shares bizarre AI video of Gaza vision
What minerals does Ukraine have?
White House responds to speculation over bruise on Trump’s hand
Elon Musk speaks at the cabinet meeting. Pic: AP
Ukraine to sign ‘very big’ deal
Asked at the cabinet meeting about security guarantees the US might be willing to offer Ukraine as part of peace negotiations, Mr Trump said: “I’m not going to make security guarantees beyond very much.
“We’re going to have Europe do that, because we’re talking about Europe as the next-door neighbour.”
Mr Trump also said Mr Zelenskyy will visit the US on Friday to sign a “very big” minerals deal.
The US president views the transaction with Ukraine as a fair way to recoup the billions of dollars that America has given Kyiv – via weapons and financial support – to help in their fight against Russia.
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Mr Trump went on to describe Russian President Vladimir Putin as a “very smart” and “very cunning person” during the cabinet meeting.
He said: “I think he wanted the whole (of Ukraine) when I got elected, (then) we spoke, and I think we’re going to have a deal.”
Ukraine NATO membership ruled out
Mr Trump also said he believes Mr Putin would never have invaded Ukraine if he was US president at the time.
Asked whether Ukraine could gain NATO membership, the US president said: “You can forget about it. That’s probably the reason the whole thing started.”
Mr Trump declined to comment when asked about whether he would ever allow China to take control of Taiwan by force.
“I never comment on that,” said. “I don’t want to ever put myself in that position.”
Mr Musk spoke briefly at the start of the meeting to explain why he believes the controversial cost-cutting measures his department has been carrying out have been necessary.
Cabinet members were then asked by reporters if they were happy with Mr Musk and how he has been carrying out his role.
Mr Musk started to answer the question, but Mr Trump interjected and said he might want to let cabinet members answer, before joking that if anyone disagreed, he might “throw them out”.
World
Trump shares AI video of Gaza vision featuring golden statues, bearded belly dancers and Netanyahu on a sunbed
Donald Trump has shared a bizarre AI-generated video on his Truth Social platform showcasing what appears to be a vision of Gaza under his proposed plan.
The footage, which the 78-year-old shared without comment, shows the war-ravaged territory before a caption appears: “Gaza 2025… What’s Next?”
It then goes on to show the area transformed into a Middle Eastern paradise with exotic beaches, Dubai-style skyscrapers, luxury yachts and people partying.
Pic: TruthSocial/@donaldtrump
Pic: TruthSocial/@donaldtrump
Pic: TruthSocial/@donaldtrump
It includes a “Trump Gaza” tower and a gigantic, golden statue of the US president – with miniature versions on sale in a souvenir gift shop.
A child is also shown walking in a street, holding a huge, golden balloon of the president’s head.
The video also features the world leader dancing with a scantily clad belly dancer in a bar – and sunbathing and sipping cocktails by a hotel resort pool with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
Elon Musk appears in the footage several times – sitting on a beach eating humous with flatbreads as bearded belly dancers perform on the sand.
The billionaire boss of X, Tesla and SpaceX – who also leads the US Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) which has been tasked with cutting government spending – is also shown throwing dollar bills in the air for people.
Pic: TruthSocial/@donaldtrump
Pic: TruthSocial/@donaldtrump
A song written for the video also plays in the background.
The lyrics go: “Donald’s coming to set you free, bringing the light for all to see, no more tunnels, no more fear: Trump Gaza’s finally here.
“Trump Gaza’s shining bright, golden future, a brand new life.
“Feast and dance the deal is done, Trump Gaza number one.”
Sky News has established the video was first shared online in early February by accounts with no apparent connection to the White House.
Read more from Sky News:
Large bruise on Trump’s hand prompts speculation over health
What you need to know about Trump’s Gaza plan
Mr Trump announced his plan – for when the war between Israel and Hamas ends – earlier this year.
It includes relocating two million Gazans to neighbouring Arab countries and developing the territory into the “Riviera of the Middle East“.
He described Gaza as a “demolition site” where “virtually every building is down”.
Pic: TruthSocial/@donaldtrump
Pic: TruthSocial/@donaldtrump
Laying out his idea of what would happen beyond an Israel-Hamas ceasefire, he proposed: “The US will take over the Gaza Strip and we will do a job with it too.”
He said America would be “responsible for dismantling all of the dangerous unexploded bombs and other weapons on the site”, before it would “get rid of the destroyed buildings”, and “level it out”.
“Everybody I’ve spoken to loves the idea of the United States owning that piece of land, developing and creating thousands of jobs,” he added.
The White House described the proposal as “out-of-the-box” and “visionary” – but it was condemned as the effective “ethnic cleansing” of Palestinians from Gaza.
Hamas described the proposals as “ridiculous and absurd” in a statement from one of its officials.
Egypt, Jordan, and Saudi Arabia, which as fellow Arab nations support the Palestinian cause, also rejected Mr Trump’s plan.
Read more:
Analysis: Trump’s Gaza plan is so outrageous it might be something bigger
There was a mixed reaction to the video in the comments section below.
One person wrote: “I don’t think that’s funny or cool. Sorry. Am I missing something??? I hope it’s a joke a bad joke..”
“I hate this. I love our president, but this is horrible,” said another.
One Truth Social user wrote: “Mr President while I appreciate what you do, is not about you. To God be the glory and the honor, for without Him, you couldn’t have accomplished anything. The statue is a symbol of the antichrist, please humble yourself to God. Jesus is king and only Him.”
“You’re doing great Mr President. But don’t let it get to your head. God put you in that position for His Glory, not yours,” said another.
“Can we transform our US cities to look like this 2025 vision first? Our cities are dumps with ugly buildings and homeless people,” wrote one user.
“Everything looks good, just stay away from these guys,” said another, reposting a screengrab of the bearded belly dancers.
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