With Labour abandoning its base through welfare cuts and warmongering, a genuine progressive alternative is urgently needed but must avoid any whiff of Trump infatuation syndrome and national populism, argues ANDREW MURRAY
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NHS England’s abolition sets the stage for deep cuts to come
NHS England’s abolition sets the stage for deep cuts to come
Behind Starmer’s headline-grabbing abolition of NHS England lies a ruthless drive to centralise control so that cuts of £6.6 billion can be made — even if it means reducing cancer services and clinical staff, writes JOHN LISTER
Ways of opposing the increasingly repressive measures from the British state against protesters will be discussed at the Arise Festival. BEN HAYES reports
The controversial legislation now threatens even more vulnerable people after the committee stage stripped away the key High Court safeguard that convinced many MPs to support it, writes Dr CAJETAN SKOWRONSKI
While the West celebrates Duterte’s extradition, the selective application of international law reveals deeper geopolitical motives behind the prosecution of a leader from a poor, exploited nation, argues KENNY COYLE
Despite appointing staunchly pro-Israel officials and approving billions in arms sales, the Trump administration faces a public increasingly viewing Palestine through a human rights lens, writes RAMZY BAROUD
China’s opening up empowers the world, and Sino-European co-operation especially holds immense potential, argues LIANG TAO, from infrastructure and industrial capacity to cultural exchange between two ancient civilisations
Despite appointing staunchly pro-Israel officials and approving billions in arms sales, the Trump administration faces a public increasingly viewing Palestine through a human rights lens, writes RAMZY BAROUD
A MASSIVE new reorganisation aimed at tightening financial controls on the NHS hit news headlines on March 13 with Sir Keir Starmer’s surprise announcement that NHS England (NHSE) is to be abolished.
Few campaigners will shed many tears at the dismantling of NHSE. Its role from the beginning was as the “national commissioning board” overseeing the competitive market for healthcare established by Andrew Lansley’s disastrous mega-“reform” that took effect from 2013.
But nor is there any obvious enthusiasm to go back to the previous model of New Labour’s market-style reforms, primary care trusts, strategic health authorities, privatisation and “world-class commissioning” — although that does seem to be the model that Streeting and Starmer are hoping to recreate.
More from this author
Relatively recently the health service was at its peak — to reverse the incredible damage done by the Tories since 2010 we need billions going straight into state provision, writes JOHN LISTER
Labour’s 24-page manifesto for the health service carefully avoids explaining how any of it will be paid for and provided. This is more than worrying, writes JOHN LISTER
Higher funds are critical to prevent the growth of privatisation by allowing the NHS to expand capacity and reduce the vast 6-million-plus waiting list, writes JOHN LISTER
The hated Health and Social Care Act has effectively been suspended, and there’s huge recognition that support staff should be brought back in-house. So can the ‘competitive health market’ now be ditched once and for all? asks JOHN LISTER
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