Jason Manford fears a social media backlash - but it won't stop him defending the nurses' strikes.
The comedian and TV presenter's parents both worked in the NHS, with his mum being a nurse whilst his dad was also an NHS shop steward and Union leader. He fiercely defended the nurses' decision to strike during an appearance on ITV's Lorraine today, but admits he worries about the social media backlash - and said he nearly didn't say anything for that reason.
Jason said he "just can't comprehend" how people couldn't get behind the nurses and slammed claims they were being "selfish" by going on strike, as he fumed they were doing this for the general public's wellbeing as well.
Speaking on Lorraine today on ITV, he said: "My Mum’s a nurse and my Dad was an NHS shop steward and Union leader, so it’s a hard thing to talk about. Nobody gets into nursing for the money.
"On social media, you get so many negative responses that in the end you just think 'I’ll keep my mouth shut.' It’s not an average job and when you were outside clapping them on a Thursday during Covid, and now to not let them do this, is pretty low.
"I just can't comprehend how people can't be behind the nurses. It's not the nurses' fault."
He rubbished claims nurses were "selfish", insisting they want to help both themselves and the patients.
"If you know a nurse, the last thing they wanna do is leave the hospital and be on strike. Yes, they're asking for a raise with inflation but again, they're asking for a lot of other things for us, the patients," he added.
The Mirror joined a number of nurses on the picket line last week, where they explained why they needed to strike.
Olga Leach-Walters, an endoscopy nurse and lead RCN rep at the Queen Elizabeth Hospital, told the Mirror: “It’s overwhelming to see so many of us on strike. The public have been amazing, bringing food and hot drinks to the picket line. Nowhere else in the world are nurses treated as badly as they are in our country.
"Nurses are literally using a food bank inside this hospital. I use a food bank myself because sometimes I don’t have enough money to eat. I also go to the food bank for other nurses who are too embarrassed to do it themselves. I know of nurses here who are sleeping in their cars because they cannot afford to pay petrol to get home and back.
"Others are having to take annual leave at the end of each month because they have run out of money for petrol or parking."
