Striking doctors prepped to unleash chaos - Labour has one decision to make

On Friday, resident doctors will commence their five-day strike.

As Britain's healthcare system teeters under relentless pressure, yet another wave of doctor strikes threatens to plunge the NHS into crisis. These strikes are irresponsible, unnecessary, wrong and must be called off now. The real tragedy is not just the political cowardice that invited this chaos but the disruption of care patients face.

Last year, Labour bowed to union demands with an inflation-busting, no-strings-attached pay deal for doctors. It was a short-sighted move, one that we Conservatives warned would backfire. And now, it has. Rather than resolving tensions, Labour's capitulation has emboldened further industrial action at a time when patients can least afford it. This dismisses the British public and the very patients Labour claims to protect.

Let us be clear of the impacts of these strikes today. Resident doctors walking off the front line and onto the picket line is a threat to lives. Every cancelled operation, every missed appointment, every delay in emergency care is a direct consequence of a government too weak to say "no" to union overreach. And make no mistake, this overreach is growing bolder by the day.

The more Labour cuddles up with the unions, the more Britain risks being dragged by the collar into a summer of strikes, taking us back to the dark days of the 1970s.

Wes Streeting talks tough, but this crisis is happening on his watch. Under Labour, the NHS has spiralled into turmoil due to the unions coming back for more. Wes' tough talk is not matched by meaningful action. Labour's appeasement has created a dangerous precedent, inviting a domino effect of disruption that could make this a summer of chaos across the health service. Labour promised to reset relations with NHS staff, and they have done the opposite.

The British public deserves a functioning NHS, not one crippled by repeated strikes and political mismanagement. They deserve leaders who can stand firm in defence of public services, not ones who open the floodgates to repeated union demands without accountability.

Labour must stand up to this kind of intimidation and protect patients and the NHS from further damage.
Labour have taken us back to square one after signing away millions in taxpayers' money, and yet there's still no credible solution on the table. If Labour cannot bring this crisis under control and if they continue to fold in the face of union pressure, then it will not just be their credibility at stake but it will be the health and safety of millions of patients at stake too.

This government must decide whether they will protect the unions or protect patients.
The NHS and taxpayers deserve better.