Streeting said he was confident Labor would win when the country went to the polls.
Speaking before the new Conservative leader and prime minister was announced on Monday, Streeting told the Daily Telegraph: “I think the Conservatives are planning to lose the next general election.” The current government’s plans to limit the number of medical students, Streeting believes, is evidence that the Conservatives have “come to the conclusion that there is no point in recruiting medical trainees because they are not going to work until there is a Labor government. I think that’s recklessly short-sighted.” Streeting went on to say that the UK government should “develop our home-grown talent for the NHS”, adding that it was driving away “bright young people from university jobs who are desperate to understand. This threatens the future pipeline.” In August, education secretary James Cleverley said the NHS was increasing recruitment, despite the government’s refusal to lift the cap on medical student intakes this year. Streeting cast doubt on the Tories’ plans for the NHS, suggesting that additional funding for the health service would have to come with some sort of reform. “There is no doubt in my mind – and this is why Liz Truss is being dishonest with the public – that there is no solution to the NHS crisis that does not involve more investment,” he told the Telegraph. Streeting said he could not envisage a solution for the NHS in the long term which “could involve huge amounts of extra money every year. Because at that point, the NHS starts to look unsustainable. We can’t just keep throwing more money at it.” After his own successful treatment for kidney cancer, Streeting said he wanted to ensure the NHS was fit for purpose in the 21st century. He said: “We cannot leave our reverence [for the NHS] prevent us from making the changes that are needed.” “There will always be people in the system who will say, ‘but that’s not how we do things.’ I want to work with the system rather than fight the system. But, ultimately, I will always do what is in the best interest of patients.” Archie Bland and Nimo Omer take you to the top stories and what they mean, free every weekday morning Privacy Notice: Newsletters may contain information about charities, online advertising and content sponsored by external parties. For more information, see our Privacy Policy. We use Google reCaptcha to protect our website and Google’s Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply. His comments came as Labor leader Keir Starmer said he was ready to deliver on his plans to tackle the challenges facing the country. Starmer, who turned 60 on Friday, told the Daily Mirror: “I will set out in my conference speech our roadmap, our plan for Britain and how Labor will give Britain the fresh start it needs.” The party’s plans to help with fuel bills include freezing the energy price cap until April. He also vowed to tackle long-term challenges such as the climate crisis and rebuilding the economy.
