‘The status quo doesn’t work’ - Wes Streeting MP on child poverty, coming out and reforming the NHS

Brought up on a council estate in the East End of London, the son of a single mother whose own father was a bank robber and whose mother once shared a prison cell with Christine Keeler, Wes Streeting MP owes his life to a fry up.

His working class background and the challenges he experienced growing up in poverty now inform the Shadow Health Secretary’s mission in politics, to ensure others like him have similar opportunities.

Today on Ways to Change the World, Wes Streeting joins Krishnan Guru-Murthy to talk about his journey from a Stepney council estate to the Labour frontbench in Westminster, his optimism that poverty is a trap we can escape and his vision for an NHS ‘fit for the future’ on the eve of the 2024 UK general election.

Produced by Silvia Maresca

Warning: The following contains language that some viewers might find offensive

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[StratsRUs]

He's funded by those that want their teeth in the NHS.

" It is hard to divorce the large donations to Labour politicians from those with private healthcare interests from the change in policy tack ".- Every Doctor Website

As well as receiving funds from financier John Armitage in January 2022, Wes Streeting also made some surprising and concerning comments about the use of private providers in the NHS. He confirmed that if Labour were in power, he would ‘not shirk’ from using private companies to tackle NHS waiting lists. This was immediately met with many voices from the NHS and campaign groups explaining that it doesn’t work like that – that bringing in private providers actually depletes the NHS and doesn’t ‘help’ to bring down waiting lists. What is actually needed is emergency funding, more staff, and therefore better NHS staff pay (that competes with rates offered in the private sector). Streeting’s solution is wrong-headed, and also happenes to be the exact same policy that Sajid Javid proposed and was rolling out. To date, Streeting has not explained or justified his commitment to continuing (or most likely, growing) the use of private providers in the NHS on the pretext of bringing down waiting times.
The donors simply switched from Alexander Boris De Pfeffel Johnson to Sir Keir Starmer and Wes Streeting.

Promises,

[metalhead]

People need to know that Wes Streeting has accepted money from people with an interest to push the NHS to adopt privatized business

[jodders]

Streeting: "The status quo is not working"
Also Streeting: "We must not change anything"

[EmaryTegan]

Wes Streeting is going to privatize the NHS

[notorio]

This guy is a mini Starmer. Extremely shifty.

[kungfuheaven]

Wes is an inspiration and has his heart in the right place. Can't wait to see him in power in the Labour administration.

[bassekaman]

The fact Wes "believes" Rishi Sunak is just out of touch and not actively selling out the country should tell you all you need to know about Wes Streeting. A man who will be granted the mandate to sell off the NHS by default

[docm]

The cynical critics below should read his book. He's inspiring and I hope he will realize his intentions as our next Labour health secretary. The fat-shamer below should be deeply ashamed.

[nancyrayner]

Great interview. Calm and informative.

[catgladwell]

What ghastly comments there are under this video!

[abbiebrown]

The Tories should be ashamed of themselves. There is more homelessness. There is more children in poverty. The NHS is not working. People are struggling in work . The government are out of touch

[isaacblake]

I wonder how long until this Health Secretary is also on I’m A Celeb…

[EamonCoyle]

I live in N.Ireland so my problems are somewhat separated but I do sincerely hope the Labour party get a win in the next general election. I do however hope they don't give their leader too much of a moat to protect him, I would prefer a nice length of rope with which to hang his leadership. I think the best thing Wes Streeting can do is continue to be him and make himself an essential part of a future Labour Cabinet but that he doesn't fall under the Keir Starmer spell and the attempts to politically gentrify what should be a party of the people.

[lyno]

The comments here are just awful, not constructive and quite trolling, I like Wes and wish him every success in the future

[donttrip]

"... and that's why we want to barely change anything and I took money from private healthcare interests."

[inquiring]

Being over-weight is not a good look for a politician... It speaks of self-indulgence !

[graemefyffe]

Speaking from someone who lives in North Lanarkshire its Labour/Tory party has let its people down with its cuts...disgusted in what Labour has become today.

[munchuriancandidate]

Oh god made it two minutes…people pretending to be normal humans is cringe man

[sheikhusman]

why is he doing the rounds? is he after kier's job now?

[ImBABYJANEHUDSON]

Yawn! He has gotten more working over the years! I remember him as a student!