Jeremy Corbyn has launched a scathing attack on Sir Keir Starmer, accusing the prime minister of “betraying” the NHS with plans to expand private sector involvement. In a fiery critique, the former Labour leader warned that the move could hollow out the health service and abandon its founding principles.
Corbyn vs. Starmer: The NHS Showdown
In an article for The Independent, Corbyn didn’t hold back. He criticised Starmer for “abandoning” working-class voters and accused Labour of breaking key pledges, including maintaining the two-child benefit cap and cutting winter fuel support.
The flashpoint? Starmer’s plan to spend £2.5 billion a year on private hospitals to tackle sky-high waiting lists, with a goal of ensuring no patient waits longer than 18 weeks by 2029.
Labour insists the move is essential to ease delays caused by years of Tory mismanagement and the Covid pandemic. But Corbyn argues this echoes Tony Blair’s controversial reliance on private providers, a decision he believes weakened the NHS’s universal promise.
A Hollowed-Out Health Service?
Corbyn’s core argument is that private sector involvement “hollows out” the NHS. He claims private providers cherry-pick straightforward cases, leaving complex, time-consuming treatments to the NHS, worsening waiting times for those in greatest need.
In a jab at Labour’s current leadership, Corbyn warned that by “selling off” the NHS, the government risks alienating voters. He called for policies that “inspire hope” rather than a “two-party system that thrives on despair.”
Labour’s Defence: Cutting the Wait
Labour isn’t backing down. A spokesperson hit back, saying:
“The last Labour government delivered the shortest waiting times and highest patient satisfaction in history. If your ideology forces NHS patients to wait longer for healthcare, there’s something wrong with your ideology.”
The party insists the private sector will only fill gaps in capacity, with all care remaining free at the point of use.
A Wider Warning
Corbyn also linked the NHS crisis to the rise of far-right politics, suggesting public disillusionment over the state of the health service fuels extremist sentiment. In a pointed critique, he accused Labour of failing to provide the hope voters need, leaving them vulnerable to “despair.”
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