It may sound obvious, but it bears repeating — nurses are vital to the safe running of hospitals and their absence heaps further strain on the health service.
NHS services endured major disruption yesterday as nurses walked out in a 28-hour strike over pay. Nick Hulme, chief executive of East Suffolk and North Essex NHS Foundation Trust, revealed that patients in intensive care had to be transferred as staff did not provide cover despite an exemption from the Royal College of Nursing (RCN). And there is no end in sight — the head of the RCN suggested walkouts could go on “up until Christmas”.
Nurses aren’t the only ones. Teachers walked out last Thursday and today, another blow to students recovering from the learning loss wrought by the pandemic.
There is a risk that the longer industrial action goes on, the more the public becomes accustomed to it, and the more damage is done to our health and education. The task to end the strikes remains urgent. We need cool heads to prevail and agree a deal to get back to work.
Starmer had to U-turn
Dropping a bad pledge is better than carrying out bad policy. As such, Sir Keir Starmer is right to U-turn on his promise made during the Labour leadership election to abolish university tuition fees. But yet another policy reversal, however sensible, risks raising further questions in the public’s mind about what Starmer stands for.
It is understandable that the Labour leader should want to drop the commitment. It is expensive at a time of tight public finances, and money to support lower-income students could be more effectively spent. Indeed, it was in these pages last month that columnist Philip Collins called on Starmer to ditch the pledge, calling it “a vast subsidy to the middle class”.
Nevertheless, it is notable how the Labour leader has dropped so many of the promises that propelled him to victory in 2020, from the nationalisation of energy companies to his defence of free movement of people.
Starmer is clearly keen to ensure his party is election ready. That will require sidelining policies — as well as people — who stand in the way. It is a strategy not without risks. But ultimately, good policy is good politics.
Joys of the Met Gala
Last night’s Met Gala paid homage to Karl Lagerfeld, the Chanel designer who died in 2019. Mr Lagerfeld was an object of fascination, with his black-and-white style, his controversial views and his obsession with his white Birman cat, Choupette.
Alas, Choupette declined her invitation to the gala and the organisers failed even to livestream an appearance, but she was very much in evidence. No fewer than three of the celebrity guests dressed up as the cat.
It is a comfort to reflect that one creature, at least, has risen above life’s struggles.
