NHS strikes ‘badge of shame for government’, says Sir Keir Starmer

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2 years ago

February 7, 2023

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Widespread NHS strikes are “a badge of shame for the government”, Sir Keir Starmer has said.

The Labour leader made the comment as tens of thousands of NHS staff – including nurses and ambulance workers – staged the biggest walkout in the organisation’s history in England and Wales.

Unions are demanding pay rises amid the ongoing cost of living crisis, along with improved conditions, but the government will not budge on wages, saying the current year’s offer will not be increased.

Politics live: Massive day of industrial action hits NHS

Sir Keir said the public would be “absolutely flabbergasted that the government is still sitting this one out, not showing any leadership in the middle of a cost of living crisis, making the situation much worse than it otherwise would be”.

He told broadcasters: “Nobody wants to see these strikes, nobody wants to be on strike – the last thing nurses want to do is to be on strike.

“What they do want is a government that can show leadership, get around the negotiating table and settle this dispute.”

Health secretary Steve Barclay said the government had accepted “in full” the recommendation on wage increases from the independent pay review body, adding: “Of course that came on top of the 3% that was awarded the previous year to the NHS when other public sector workers had a pay freeze.

“But it is right to recognise that there have been ongoing pressures on the NHS, inflation has been higher since last year’s pay review process was originally forecast… and that’s why we have got the evidence in terms of this April that we are working with the trade unions on that, which will reflect inflation and the circumstances.

“It should be done through the independent pay review body process which can look both at what the NHS needs but also the wider needs of the economy and the other pressures that many of your viewers are facing.”

Earlier, the head of the Royal College of Nursing, Pat Cullen, told Sky News her members had been “punished and left behind by Rishi Sunak”.

She said further strikes this week would be called off if the prime minister came to the table and made a pay offer, but instead he has “turned his back on these nurses”.

Unite boss Sharon Graham also told Sky News she had “not had one single meeting on pay with the government”, telling ministers to “stop the politicking [and] get round the table”.

“Let’s get this deal done,” she added. “Put it out to the members and everybody can go back to work.”

However, health minister and former nurse Maria Caulfield urged unions to call off the industrial action, saying: “There is a risk to patients the longer that strikes go on.”

She told Sky News the “door was open” for negotiations on next year’s pay settlement, adding: “We’ve got patients waiting for routine procedures, we’ve got one of the busiest winters we have ever had, with record levels of funding going into the NHS to try and manage services, so every percent of a pay increase takes money away from that.”

But the deputy chief executive of NHS Providers – which represents trusts around the country – urged ministers to think again.

“I think that we need to recognise that NHS staff have faced soaring costs, cost of living has gone up, inflation has gone up, and the settlement from this year’s pay review body was made at a time when inflation wasn’t at the levels it’s at at the moment,” Saffron Cordery told Sky News.

“So I think it’s really important that we focus on getting a deal for this year, as well as then thinking about what next year’s pay deal looks like.”

The prime minister’s official spokesman said the strikes were “deeply regrettable”, but said it was “within the gift” of the unions to bring them to an end.

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Pope in critical condition after respiratory crisis, Vatican says in latest update

Published

36 seconds ago

February 22, 2025

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Pope in critical condition after respiratory crisis, Vatican says in latest update

Pope Francis is in a critical condition after a “prolonged respiratory crisis” that required a high-flow of oxygen and is “suffering more than yesterday”, the Vatican has said.

The 88-year-old has been in hospital for more than a week being treated for double pneumonia and chronic bronchitis.

In an update on Saturday evening, the Vatican said “the Holy Father’s condition continues to be critical”, adding that this morning he “presented with a prolonged asthmatic respiratory crisis” which required the application of high-flow oxygen.

He also had blood transfusions after tests revealed thrombocytopenia, which is associated with anemia.

“The Holy Father continues to be vigilant and spent the day in an armchair even though he was suffering more than yesterday. At the moment the prognosis is reserved,” the Vatican’s statement said.

In an update earlier on Saturday morning – the shortest since Francis was admitted to hospital on 14 February – the Vatican said he will not lead Sunday prayers for the second week running, adding: “The Pope rested well.”

Francis is likely to prepare a written homily for someone else to read at Sunday’s Angelus.

Millions of people around the world have been concerned about the Pope’s increasingly frail health – and his condition has given rise to speculation over a possible resignation, which the Vatican has not commented on.

Doctors on Friday said he was “not out of danger” and was expected to remain at Rome’s Gemelli hospital for at least another week.

Sergio Alfieri, the chief of the pontiff’s medical team, said: “Is he out of danger? No. But if the question is ‘is he in danger of death’, the answer is ‘no’.”

He said Francis was affected by seasonal flu before being taken to hospital and that, “due to his challenging duties”, he had suffered fatigue.

He is also fighting a multipronged infection of bacteria and viruses in the respiratory tract.

The doctors warned that while he did not have sepsis – where germs enter the bloodstream – there was always a risk the infection could spread in his body, and they said that was the biggest concern.

Sepsis is a complication of an infection that can lead to organ failure and death.

Pope Francis has a history of respiratory illness, having lost part of one of his lungs to pleurisy as a young man. He had an acute case of pneumonia in 2023.

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One dead and police officers seriously injured in ‘terror’ stabbing in Mulhouse

Published

37 seconds ago

February 22, 2025

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One dead and police officers seriously injured in 'terror' stabbing in Mulhouse

One person has been killed and two police officers seriously injured in a knife attack in eastern France.

A man attacked people in Mulhouse, near the German border, at around 4pm on Saturday.

Prosecutors said a 37-year-old Algerian had been arrested and the person who died was a civilian who tried to intervene.

“Horror has just gripped our city,” mayor Michele Lutz said on Facebook.

The man shouted “Allahu Akbar” (“God is greatest”) as he attacked the police officers, prosecutors added.

President Macron told BFMTV it was “beyond doubt” it was an “Islamist terrorist act”. He said the interior minister was heading to Mulhouse and would speak later.

The attacker is said to have been at a police station – where he was due to sign a document for his detention – but refused and ran into the market where he launched the attack.

One police officer was stabbed in the neck and another in the chest, according to French media. Three other police sustained very minor injuries.

The knifeman had reportedly been under house arrest and was on a terror watchlist.

The French attack comes a day after a stabbing by a 19-year-old Syrian refugee at Berlin’s Holocaust memorial.

A Spanish tourist was badly injured but is expected to survive.

The attacker is said to have wanted to kill Jewish people after being motivated by the conflict in the Middle East, according to prosecutors.

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Starmer tells Zelenskyy this is ‘significant moment’ for European security ahead of US visit

Published

38 seconds ago

February 22, 2025

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Starmer tells Zelenskyy this is 'significant moment' for European security ahead of US visit

Sir Keir Starmer and Volodymyr Zelenskyy said this is a “significant moment” for European security amid the continued fallout between the Ukrainian leader and Donald Trump.

In a phone call this morning, the prime minister reiterated the UK’s “ironclad support” for Ukraine and said he would discuss safeguarding Kyiv’s sovereignty with the US president.

Sir Keir also spoke with the European Commission president Ursula von der Leyen this morning, in which they agreed that Europe must “step up” for the good of collective security on the continent.

Sir Keir will meet Mr Trump in the coming days for what will be a critical moment in the fragile relations between America and Europe after the US leader launched an extraordinary verbal attack on Mr Zelenskyy.

Mr Trump labelled the Ukrainian leader a “dictator” and said the prime minister and French President Emmanuel Macron, both of whom will visit the White House next week, “haven’t done anything” to end the war.

Since Russia‘s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022, the UK, France and other allies have been providing Kyiv with weapons and aid.

Mr Trump has also suggested that Ukraine “started” the war.

In a Downing Street readout of Sir Keir’s call with Mr Zelenskyy, a spokesperson said: “The prime minister began by reiterating the UK’s ironclad support for Ukraine and commitment to securing a just and enduring peace to bring an end to Russia’s illegal war.

“The leaders reflected on recent developments in the conflict, as the third anniversary of the full-scale invasion approaches, and agreed on the need to continue working together with allies to achieve peace through strength.

“They agreed that this was a significant moment for the future of Ukraine and European security at large.”

The spokesperson added: “The prime minister repeated that Ukraine must be at the heart of any negotiations to end the war and that safeguarding Ukraine’s sovereignty was essential to deter future aggression from Russia.”

Meanwhile, a Downing Street spokesperson said of Sir Keir and Ms von der Leyen’s call: “Ahead of the three-year anniversary of Russia’s barbaric illegal war, they discussed the need to secure a just and enduring peace in Ukraine, and agreed that Europe must step up for the good of collective European security.”

On Saturday afternoon, Sir Keir also spoke with Finland’s president Alexander Stubb and discussed “the need to secure enduring peace for Ukraine and bring an end to Russia’s illegal war”, a Downing Street readout said.

“The leaders agreed the need for Europe to step up support to achieve this, and the prime minister said the UK is ready to play a role in future security guarantees.”

The US president’s recent statements, which echo Russian president Vladimir Putin’s narrative, and plans to have direct negotiations with Moscow about the end of the war in Ukraine have left European allies and Ukrainian officials worried.

Mr Trump told US governors on Friday he “had very good talks with Putin” and “not such good talks with Ukraine”.

The US president also said a deal on minerals in Ukraine in exchange for weapons was close, but a source with knowledge of the negotiations told Sky News the Ukrainian president is not ready to sign and sees a “number of problematic issues” with the draft agreement.