NHS (Government Spending)

Debate between Margot James and Baroness Keeley

Wednesday 28th January 2015 Commons Chamber

[Margot James]

That is a good example, and I know how hard my hon. Friend has worked in his constituency to assist in bringing about that improvement.

The polls clearly show that the public have very little confidence in Labour’s proposals to manage the economy. However, I want to make sure I do everything I can to get the public to cast a weather-eye over the Opposition’s plans for the NHS, and to remember which party introduced privatisation into the NHS, and why. I remember calling on an elderly lady who had been waiting almost two years for a cataract operation on both eyes. That was what the previous Government presided over, and in desperation they called in the private sector to reduce those waiting times. They could not bring about change within the NHS because of their target-driven management culture and their command and control-driven philosophy, so they had to bring in the private sector.

What we are seeing now is a tiny increase: the whole of the private sector accounts for less than 7% of total NHS activity, so we are talking about a small element that the Opposition are blowing up out of all proportion.

[Barbara Keeley]

Will the hon. Lady give way?

[Margot James]

I am sorry, but I am running out of time.

Labour’s record in government, when the producer interest held sway, stands as a salutary lesson which I hope people will remember.

No wonder there are serious divisions within the Opposition about their health policy, as was reported in the press only today. One Labour Front Bencher was anonymously quoted as saying that it would be a “fatal mistake” to increase the health budget without reforming it. I know there are some people with common sense on the Opposition Benches, but it is a shame they are not in control of health policy.