Farage’s Reform UK poses ‘existential threat’ to the NHS, Wes Streeting warns
Health Secretary Wes Streeting has warned that Reform UK poses an “existential threat” to England and claimed the party wants to “dismantle” the NHS.
Mr Streeting added that while Labor had “differences” with the Conservative Party, Reformation was the greater threat to the UK, he was “shuddered” by the idea of Wales voting to elect Nigel Farage’s party – potentially bringing down the current ruling Labor administration in the Senedd. [my] spine.”
The health minister also took aim at Green Party leader Zack Polanski for his previous comments that hypnosis could increase a woman’s breast size.
But he dodged questions about whether his job as health minister was safe following reports that prime minister Sir Keir Starmer was considering a cabinet reshuffle.
The Labor secretary’s comments follow the results of a major survey called the British Social Attitudes survey, which found an increase in public satisfaction with the NHS and a decrease in dissatisfaction since 1998.
Following a speech at the University of East London about improvements in NHS performance since Labor took office again in July 2024, the health secretary said: “Nigel Farage says he wants an insurance-based system. He says he’s up for anything when it comes to the future of the NHS, and I believe him.”
“Reform is now a mile away from what they say about it because they know they don’t believe in an NHS; they don’t believe in an NHS that’s ours to take care of us all; they don’t believe in an NHS that means you don’t have to worry about the bill every time you get sick.”
“But the British people know that and we need to expose it, because I think there are a lot of people in this country who are still considering Reform as the election approaches in May, but they wouldn’t touch Reform with a barge pole if they knew what Nigel Farage really thought about the NHS and its future.”
He said he feared for the political future of Wales, which has had a government that has taken responsibility for its healthcare since 1999, adding: “The country’s NHS and [Aneurin] Bevan would choose Reformation to tear it apart, that gives me goosebumps.”
He also accused Reformation of fueling rising racism across the UK and pointed to recent allegations of arson attacks on ambulances in Golders Green.
“When I think very poignantly about what I saw in Golders Green on Monday and the conversations I’ve had with Jewish, Muslim, black and Asian voters in recent months, we see that there is a wave of racism in this country, and a kind of racism that, as someone born in the 80s, I have never seen before.
“This is the kind of blatant, unapologetic racism I heard described to me as a child in the 1970s, it is back. Reformation fuels it. His policies benefit from it.”
Mr Streeting said the party was “an insult to this country, its history, its heritage, its values and the NHS”, adding: “I think they are an existential threat to this country, to who we are and what we stand for.”
Asked about the threat the Green Party poses to Labor, Mr Streeting said there needed to be “legitimate questions” answered about how Mr Polanski could be trusted in office. Sun A 2013 paper on breast enlargement and hypnotherapy. He has since apologized, he said, for being misrepresented and aware it would be offensive.
A spokesperson for Reform UK said: “Reform UK has been very clear: We support an NHS that is free at the point of use and accessible to anyone who needs it. As for Wes Streeting’s other baseless statements, they frankly fall short of someone in high office. Reform UK rejects racism in all its forms and to suggest otherwise is a deliberate attempt to denigrate the millions of decent, ordinary people who support us. As support for Reform UK continues to grow, it is no surprise that Labor is resorting to such methods.” Prefer attacks rather than dealing with the substance of our policies.”
The Green Party has been approached for comment.
