If falling living standards and a spluttering economy were the only objections the public had with the Conservative Party, Rishi Sunak might not be 20 points behind in the polls. But anyone who has tried to secure a GP appointment recently knows that public services, and in particular the National Health Service, are in crisis.
Little wonder that fixing the NHS is voters’ immediate priority for Sir Keir Starmer should he become prime minister. An exclusive Ipsos survey for the Standard finds that 63 per cent of adults named improving the health service as one of the three or four issues that a Labour government should focus on in its first six months, significantly ahead of the cost of living, cited by 44 per cent.
The reality is that Britain needs a robust economy to fund the investment in public services such as the NHS, and targeted reforms to ensure that additional money produces results. The public generally understands this, but it is up to policymakers to make it happen.
Justice too late
The scale of the disaster and the nature of the cover-up that is the infected blood scandal have understandably led to one question in particular: who will be held to account?
Victims and their families fear that the slow response to the scandal will mean that those responsible will not face legal consequences. Bluntly, many in positions of power then are now deceased. The Government has stressed that justice for victims will be pursued robustly, with Work and Pensions Secretary Mel Stride today giving an “assurance” that this would include whether there should be criminal action against those responsible for disaster.
Yet fears are widespread that it may already be too late. Andy Evans, chairman of the Tainted Blood campaign group, put it succinctly: “Justice delayed really is, in this case, justice denied.”
Numbers game
Manchester City have been by some distance the best team in England in the last decade, winners of four consecutive league titles including six of the last seven.
Yet there is another figure — 115. That is the number of charges issued by the Premier League against the club back in February 2023, relating to alleged breaches of financial rules spanning nine seasons. City deny the charges, yet that has not prevented something of an asterisk being affixed to the record books of rival fans.
Given that punishment — should the charges be proven — could involve point penalties and in extremis, expulsion from the league, what this needs is a swift and just conclusion. Until then, the whispering campaign will outlast the final day drama.
