Wes Streeting

I have to agree, I just don’t like him. Don’t like that he seems to somehow be tied up with big med/pharma, don’t like his manner, don’t like what come out of mouth and don’t even like his voice. He seems to be the least labour like of any of them and I’m concerned that he’s in charge of the NHS.

Lets hope normal Labour principles prevail.

I just don’t like him. Don’t like that he seems to somehow be tied up with big med/pharma, don’t like his manner, don’t like what come out of mouth and don’t even like his voice.

+1

Just something a bit weaselly and smug about him.

I’m prepared to accept the NHS may need reforms, even a bit more provision via commercial firms, but he does not inspire trust and confidence.

Don’t let it get you too het up though TJ, he probably doesn’t have that much influence on the assisted death vote.

Lets hope normal Labour principles prevail.

Old Skool labour or Blairite labour?  😉

I never really understand these sorts of “personal” reactions.

But I dunno, as the goody two shoes gay kid in the south London council estate with family in prison, I guess he’s going to be used to some people talking an instant dislike.

Apparently he’s entertained by the substantial number of responses to the current public consultation on the NHS 10 year plan to the effect he should be fired out of a cannon etc.

The one that ambulance sirens should be replaced by a recording of Danny Dyer saying “nee naw nee naw” though I think we can all get behind?

I don’t like the league tables thing and neither do all the think-tanks. Hope it fizzles. But he is the most successful cabinet minister in the recent budget. I’d not underestimate the guy. (Kiss of death, obviously.)

 

No 10 rejects suggestions Streeting’s assisted dying interventions have breached government neutrality rule
At the Downing Street lobby briefing this morning the prime minister’s spokesperson rejected suggestions that Wes Streeting, the health secretary, is ignoring the instruction that ministers should not try to influence the public debate on the assisted dying bill. (See 12.32pm.)

Asked if Keir Starmer was confident that ministers were respecting the guidance from the cabinet secretary on this matter, the spokesperson replied:

Yes. Ultimately, this is a case where the PM has said it is a free vote for MPs. Government will respect the will of parliament. Cabinet ministers have made very clear that the whole of government will respect the will of parliament on this deeply emotive issue.
Asked specifically about the intevention yesterday from Streeting, which led to Kim Leadbeater, the Labour MP who has tabled the bill, suggesting he was ignoring the advice for ministers, the spokesperson said:

How long before he is sacked?  He obviously has breached the guidance given making multiple pronouncements on the issue.   Usually this sort of defense is stage one in the sacking.  We can only hope for the sake of the NHS that its sooner rather than later

Edit – quote from the gruaniad live blog

John – its not a personal dislike for me.  Its that he is in the pay of privitised medicine, he is ignoring all the experts, he is needlessly picking fights with the professionals, he is making decisions to actively make things worse and is clearly setting up to privitise more of the NHS

Apparently he’s entertained by the substantial number of responses to the current public consultation on the NHS 10 year plan

That says a lot about his arrogance.  He should be listening to those who know and he should be very concerned that his plans meet universal condemnation.  From GPs, Hospital doctors, hospital management, nurses

I’m prepared to accept the NHS may need reforms

I would probably start though by backing out the previous set of “reforms” and then take another look once that crap is flushed out.

The invention of “league tables” suggest they are just going to double down on it though.

and is clearly setting up to privitise more of the NHS

I’ve never known a time when the health minister of any party hasn’t been accused of wanting to privatise the NHS, it’s genuinely astonishing given the utter certainty of some folks that not even in the 14 years they were in power and with the massive majority they enjoyed, the tories didn’t manage it. Brave Wes can take up the challenge of being the target for those shouting that the sky is just about to fall in…again, or still or whatever.

Still, Wes isn’t turning out to be the best appointment ever. If League tables is the best thing he can think of, unsurprising that his mentor Alan Milburn was also a fan, then he needs to have a re-think really.

He has said he wants to and his two advisors are privitisers.  He takes money from private healthcare and those advisors have large private health interests.  Milburn used his time as health minister to create the contacts to get rich from private health

he is needlessly picking fights with the professionals,

Turning the junior doctors dispute into the resident doctors settlement?

the tories didn’t manage it.

Depends on your definition really. Labour massively increased private sector involvement in the NHS and the tories took it even further.  The privatisation of mental health care has increased massively.

Labour did make an effort at privatising actual hospitals with the tories carrying on the plan. However Hinchingbrooke showed how difficult it was to do and still make a profit so that got abandoned for now. Far better to keep a rump public sector handling all the training and the difficult stuff and then cherry pick the good profitable stuff.

Good point john

Beeb update

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cpqdy9ndrndo

Baroness Hodge – ““His argument about costs? We spend most of the NHS money on the last months of life.””

Nice to see some others speaking out and calling him out for his nonsense.  He is bang out of order given the instruction to remain neutral.

The cost argument is a BS one, as are most arguments against but I would like to see the figures where the NHS spend most of their money on the last few months of peoples lives as that is clearly not going to be the case. The last few years maybe as a lot of older people are in an out of hospital for years for one thing or another but when it comes to the last few months it is almost over.

Both sides of the argument appear to be open to BS.

the last 6 months thing I have seen quoted before.  I can believe it as its not just palliative car – its the last 6 months of everybodys lives so lots of failed surgury,, ITU time, expensive medical treatments etc

its the last 6 months of everybodys lives so lots of failed surgury,, ITU time, expensive medical treatments etc

and what’s ironic is that doctors make difficult and crucial decisions during that time that affect whether people live or die – but nobody has suggested that they should have to back up those decisions in the High Court

the last 6 months thing I have seen quoted before. I can believe it as its not just palliative car – its the last 6 months of everybodys lives so lots of failed surgury,, ITU time, expensive medical treatments etc

Even if that is the case it has nothing to do with assisted dying as majority of cases in your examples would not lead to assisted dying but lead to actual dying! The cost element is totally irrelevant which should have been the point.

In simple terms, he appears to be a corrupted, lacking in any depth, influenceable (for a variety of reasons) coq.

The fact that the likes of Streeting and Reeves are just very articulate vapid clueless political idiots shouldn’t be a surprise.

Both are skirting as hard as they can around the real issue – money needs to be spent.

Whenever I hear the word reform I know it’s mostly a right-wing prat who believes everything can be solved by spreadsheet evidence in the context of pretending less money spent is better for the economy and the NHS.

(My mother was having radiotherapy this week – two out of four machines broken.)

Even if that is the case it has nothing to do with assisted dying as majority of cases in your examples would not lead to assisted dying but lead to actual dying! The cost element is totally irrelevant which should have been the point.

absolutly.  Its utter nonsense from streeting.  A weeks palliative care will be a similar cost to assisted dying  take it a month early and save the NHS money!.   He is a devout christian and is objecting for personal religious reasons but inventing fake secular reasons to object.  Its the tactic often taken.  Just this one is a new one and the most nonsensical I have seen and as you say cost should not come into it.  I expect to see this line parroted by Care not Killing now

He should have been honest like Shabana Mahmood : ‘I voted against the bill when it was last introduced in 2015. I’ll be voting against it again. As a Muslim, I have an unshakable belief in the sanctity and value of human life. I don’t think death is a service that the state should be offering”

He has clearly breached the cabinet guidance – fortunately a couple of others have called him out on his nonsense

Streeting is what you end with when “just get the Tories out” is the only game in town.

Starmer needs to start acting like someone who has a whopping great majority and truly wants to put the UK back on track. He’s had his 6 months’ grace and done a few bits. But he needs to realise when he can afford to say “shut up” to the 85% of farmers who are simply lying or parroting lies because that’s what they’ve been told – so he can move on.

As for farmers – if they threaten to leave land uncultivated or withhold produce… that’s been a farming MO for centuries. It can always be dealt with.

He’s had his 6 months’ grace and done a few bits.

Erm the election was on 4th July.

Feels like longer.

OK he’s got 8 more weeks – do we think the current trajectory is ambitious enough?

With that majority?

absolutly.  It’s utter nonsense from streeting.  A weeks palliative care will be a similar cost to assisted dying  take it a month early and save the NHS money!.   He is a devout christian and is objecting for personal religious reasons but inventing fake secular reasons to object.  It’s  the tactic often taken.  Just this one is a new one and the most nonsensical I have seen and as you say cost should not come into it.  I expect to see this line parroted by Care not Killing now

A gp friend has suggested it might cost the NHS more because the legislation requires both the doctors to explain the palliative care options in detail, and because they have to sign a legal document this might be done more thoroughly than it is now… he’s suggestions the cost would not be the NHS providing the means to end your own life, but rather that by making it an option that people suffering will ask about – that demand for better palitive care may increase.  Its an interesting take – oppose this bill as it will make it harder to gloss over the thing we say means we don’t need the bill!