Socialist Health Association statement.
Today Jeremy Hunt, formerly a long time Health Secretary, has delivered a huge blow to the health and well being of millions of Britons in his Autumn Statement.
Not only are we seeing the continuation of the prolonged attack on basic living standards of working class communities – where we already see falls in life expectancy – but the very public services that these communities most depend upon will be subject to real term cuts after a decade or more of unnecessary and ideologically driven austerity. Health workers, care workers and others undertaking indispensible roles in our society face more significant cuts in the real value of their pay. Last year they were applauded. This year they and their families face the cold and lack of affordable food.
NHS England’s budget at £153Bn will receive an increase of of £3.3Bn each year for 2 years. This won’t remotely resolve life threatening NHS waiting lists or staff pay.
We have already seen an extraordinary period of excess deaths. Let us be plain: these government policies will kill as surely as an invading army or bombs.
The Socialist Health Association is part of the labour movement. We believe that working people have little alternative but organise in their unions and community organisations, stand together and fight for their lives collectively. Political engagement has never been more important and the sort of politics we need must put the needs of people above the interests of business.
The Socialist Health Association commits to stand with working class at our demonstrations and at picket lines.
Note to editors
The SHA is a Labour Party affiliate socialist society. It is one of the largest and longest established having advised Labour on the establishment of the NHS in 1948.