Latest news with #Kinnock
The Independent
2 days ago
- Politics
- The Independent
Look away, Sir Keir! Labour's bible has given its verdict on you
There was a time when the question of who would be editor of the New Statesman really, really mattered in the Labour leader's office. I know, because I was a journalist on the left-wing weekly when Neil Kinnock took a close interest in who would succeed Hugh Stephenson, an ally of the Labour leader, when he left in 1986. With a general election looming, Kinnock was determined that the title should not fall into the hands of the Bennites, as the Corbynites of those days were known. Fortunately, the board of the magazine was chaired by the former Labour MP Phillip Whitehead, and John Lloyd, a Financial Times journalist on the right of the Labour Party, was safely installed. Unfortunately for Kinnock, Lloyd was a principled Labour right-winger: so much so that he wrote a leading article on the eve of the 1987 election condemning Kinnock's policy of one-sided nuclear disarmament. Labour duly lost – but Kinnock seemed to conclude that the New Statesman was not the decisive factor in that defeat and that, actually, Lloyd was right. He took no interest in who would take over when Lloyd's brief but brilliant editorship ended after the election, but he did ditch the defence policy of giving up 'something for nothing'. It wasn't until Tony Blair that the relationship was restored, when Ian Hargreaves, a former editor of The Independent, turned the magazine into a cheerleader for New Labour – although in 1996-97, few outposts of cultural life had not been drawn into the collective ra-ra for the Great Moderniser. Blair lost interest the moment he became prime minister, but Gordon Brown, who hoped to succeed him, remained engaged. Brown had the advantage that the magazine at this stage was owned by Geoffrey Robinson, his friend and, briefly, a fellow minister – but, according to Peter Wilby, editor from 1998 to 2005, Robinson didn't interfere: 'I knew that, on critical appointments such as political editor, Robinson would want to establish 'what Gordon thinks' (fortunately, Gordon was usually too indecisive to settle on any particular name).' Since then, Jason Cowley, who was editor for 16 years until the end of 2024, barely concealed his disdain for Ed Miliband's leadership and was hostile to Jeremy Corbyn. Cowley was positive but distant towards Starmer. But now, Tom McTague, a former political editor at the Independent on Sunday and Cowley's successor, has launched his editorship with a 9,500-word profile of the prime minister, having accompanied Starmer on his recent travels. McTague succeeds, more than any recent interviewer, in giving a sense of Starmer's character. He asks about Nick – Starmer's brother who had learning difficulties and who died of cancer on Boxing Day last year – and produces an unexpectedly emotional and inarticulate response. 'I can't really explain this,' Starmer admits. McTague writes: 'He leans forward, still staring into my eyes, intense and lost, no longer a prime minister but a normal man bereaved, the tears back in his eyes.' Since the 1980s, the roles of New Statesman editor and Labour leader seem to have reversed. Starmer seems puzzled and unsure about McTague's interest in him, while McTague insists that the prime minister ought to have something to say to the British people, including the left-wing segment of them that read the New Statesman. McTague sees the magazine's role as being to explore and give voice to whatever it is that the modern Labour Party – or more specifically, the current Labour government – stands for. Yet he seems to come away from his time spent with Starmer with a sense of frustration and disappointment. He sets off on a weeks-long project asking what connects Labour's missions and milestones: 'How do they form a coherent analysis of what has gone wrong in Britain and, therefore, what the government needs to do to fix it? Over the next few weeks, I will come back to these questions again and again, and wonder whether the nation will ever hear a convincing answer to them.' McTague says of Starmer: 'He seems reluctant to poke at the reasons the country is so tense and angry and poor, to analyse the cause of the country's malaise.' One striking feature of the profile is that Starmer's aides seem to have a clearer idea of the government's purpose than the prime minister himself. One of them is quoted as saying: 'If you don't give people hope, you will get the alternative – the destruction of failing institutions.' McTague comments: 'On one level the prime minister appears intellectually to understand the challenge, even sometimes to agree with the analysis. And yet on another, he does not seem able – or willing – to channel such thoughts in a way that the country understands.' It is a damning verdict because McTague is so obviously sympathetic to Starmer the person. It would seem that the latest episode of the on-off relationship between Labour leader and the country's leading left-wing magazine will not end in a breach over an election-losing policy – as was the case with Kinnock and Lloyd – but in a complaint that Starmer seems unable to communicate what he thinks he won the election to do.
Telegraph
19-03-2025
- Health
- Telegraph
There are too many therapists, Labour says amid soaring mental health rates
Government officials are to examine whether counsellors or therapists can set themselves up too 'easily', amid soaring diagnoses of mental health issues. Stephen Kinnock, the care minister, said counsellors in other countries had to undergo years of training, and he was 'struck' by how easy it was 'to set yourself up as a counsellor or therapist and start charging for it within the next day'. He suggested that 'an issue with an unregulated private sector' may be contributing to the 'exponential' rise of ill mental health diagnoses. Mr Kinnock told GPs at the Pulse Live conference: 'You look at countries like Sweden or the Netherlands, other countries, you have to have six years of training before you can set yourself up on that basis. 'So I am also very worried that there are diagnoses being given out by the private independent sector which are not rooted in clinical expertise, and that is an issue I have commissioned my officials to look at that. 'I think that we've got to get on top of this, and we're absolutely committed to do so.' It comes after Wes Streeting, the Health Secretary, warned of an 'overdiagnosis' of mental health conditions in England. Mr Kinnock told the conference that the Government was 'committed' to fixing mental health services. He said: 'One of the big stories of this week has been the number of people who are economically inactive because they've got issues with their mental health and can't work as a result, so this is an issue that's really holding our country back. 'It's really bad for the people who are suffering; it's really bad for the economy; it's putting massive pressure on our health and care system.' He added: 'Demand just continues to go through the roof, partly because people are being diagnosed in a way that isn't rooted in clinical expertise, then you've got a real problem because demand is going through the roof – no matter what you do, you're not ever able to get on top of the situation. 'So that's an example of where we need the investment that's going in, yes, but we also need reform so that we can start to deal with the demand curve that we're seeing, which has been exponential in recent years.' The Government has announced plans to recruit 8,500 more mental health specialists and have mental health experts in schools across the country. GPs are the 'bedrock of the NHS' They also committed to 'fully renegotiate the national contract' with GPs, ending the dispute with the British Medical Association's General Practice Committee for England (GPCE) who have agreed to contract changes in 2025/26. Mr Kinnock told the conference: 'I obviously hope that there won't be any further collective action. 'We've had a very constructive and collaborative engagement with the GPCE and I think we have fixed the foundations of that relationship and what we have to do now is crack on and make sure that we move forward into an ambitious and bold reform agenda. 'There is so much common ground between us – the Government needs to free-up GPs so they can do what they love doing, what they're best at doing, which is serving their patients. 'That means cutting bureaucracy; that means enabling the shift from analogue to digital; that means improving continuity of care and bringing back the family doctor. 'We're absolutely committed to having that overhaul and a new contract going into the rest of this parliament.' Mr Kinnock added that the Government sees GPs as the 'bedrock of the NHS and the 10 Year Health Plan'. Dr Katie Bramall-Stainer, chairman of the British Medical Association's GPCE, said: 'We need to see proof of the Government's commitment to general practice in this spring's comprehensive spending review from the Treasury, and in the DHSC's 10 Year Plan for the NHS: this is where the Government will be able to ensure that general practice can become the jewel in the crown of the NHS in England once more.' It coincides with a 'special' Local Medical Committee conference in London where GPs are reportedly planning to vote on escalating industrial action by family doctors in England, but the agenda has not been made publicly available. The conference was called in November, before the announcement about the renewal of the contract. Motions passed at the conference 'reflect the profession's sentiment', the BMA said, which helps to inform the union's GPCE's policy decisions.
The Independent
19-03-2025
- Health
- The Independent
Minister raises concerns over ‘ease' of becoming counsellor or therapist
Government officials are to examine whether counsellors or therapists can set themselves up too 'easily' amid soaring rates of diagnoses of mental ill health. Health minister Stephen Kinnock said that counsellors in some other countries undergo years of training, but he was 'struck' by how easy it is to 'set up and start charging for it within the next day'. He said that an 'unregulated private sector' may be diagnosing mental health conditions which are 'not rooted in clinical expertise'. This may be contributing to the 'exponential' rise of mental ill health diagnoses, he suggested. It comes after Health Secretary Wes Streeting said that there is an 'overdiagnosis' of mental health conditions in England. Speaking at the Pulse Live conference, Mr Kinnock told GPs that the Government is 'committed' to fixing mental health services. 'The numbers waiting for support and diagnosis are huge,' he told delegates. 'One of the big stories of this week has been the number of people who are economically inactive because they've got issues with their mental health and can't work as a result, so this is an issue that's really holding our country back. 'It's really bad for the people who are suffering; it's really bad for the economy; it's putting massive pressure on our health and care system.' He went on: 'I also think that we've got an issue with an unregulated private sector. 'I've really been quite struck by how easy it is to set yourself up as a counsellor or therapist and start charging for it within the next day. 'You look at countries like Sweden or the Netherlands, other countries, you have to have six years of training before you can set yourself up on that basis. 'So I am also very worried that there are diagnoses being given out by the private independent sector which are not rooted in clinical expertise, and that is an issue I have commissioned my officials to look at that. 'I think that we've got to get on top of this, and we're absolutely committed to do so.' He added: 'Demand just continues to go through the roof, partly because people are being diagnosed in a way that isn't rooted in clinical expertise, then you've got a real problem because demand is going through the roof – no matter what you do, you're not ever able to get on top of the situation. 'So that's an example of where we need the investment that's going in, yes, but we also need reform so that we can start to deal with the demand curve that we're seeing, which has been exponential in recent years.' The Government has announced plans to recruit 8,500 more mental health specialists and have mental health experts in schools across the country. It comes as officials announced that GPs in England have agreed to contract changes in 2025/26 after the Government confirmed that it will 'fully renegotiate the national contract' with GPs. Mr Kinnock told the conference: 'I obviously hope that there won't be any further collective action. 'We've had a very constructive and collaborative engagement with the GPCE and I think we have fixed the foundations of that relationship and what we have to do now is crack on and make sure that we move forward into an ambitious and bold reform agenda. 'There is so much common ground between us – the Government needs to free-up GPs so they can do what they love doing, what they're best at doing, which is serving their patients. 'That means cutting bureaucracy; that means enabling the shift from analogue to digital; that means improving continuity of care and bringing back the family doctor. 'These are shared agendas, so what we just need to do is have a good dialogue about how we get there and get into the detail and that is what we have confirmed that we're absolutely committed to having that overhaul and a new contract going into the rest of this parliament.' Mr Kinnock said that the Government sees GPs as the 'bedrock of the NHS and the 10 Year Health Plan'. Dr Katie Bramall-Stainer, chair of the British Medical Association's General Practice Committee for England (GPCE), said: 'We need to see proof of the Government's commitment to general practice in this spring's comprehensive spending review from the Treasury, and in the DHSC's 10 Year Plan for the NHS: this is where the Government will be able to ensure that general practice can become the jewel in the crown of the NHS in England once more.' It coincides with a 'special' Local Medical Committee conference in London where GPs are reportedly planning to vote on escalating industrial action by family doctors in England, but the agenda has not been made publicly available. The conference was called in November, before the announcement about the renewal of the contract. Motions passed at the conference 'reflect the profession's sentiment', the BMA said, which helps to inform the union's General Practice Committee for England's policy decisions. GPCE is the only negotiating body for the GP contract across England.
Telegraph
11-03-2025
- Health
- Telegraph
Labour ‘comfortable' with private firms providing assisted dying
Labour is 'comfortable' with private firms providing assisted dying to patients, a health minister has revealed. Stephen Kinnock, the care minister, said assisted dying could be provided on the NHS and be free at the point of use, but that would not 'preclude the use of independent contractors'. The minister, who voted in support of Kim Leadbeater's Terminally Ill Adults Bill, sits on the committee that is examining it to represent the views of the Department of Health and Social Care. Ms Leadbeater 's legislation seeks to enable those with fewer than six months to live to receive medical assistance to end their lives. The Government is neutral on assisted dying, but Mr Kinnock and Sarah Sackman, a justice minister, appear on the Bill committee to advise on the workability of its proposals. The care minister told The House magazine: 'Kim has said that she wants this service to be an integral part of the NHS, meaning free at the point of use. 'Certainly the advice that we as ministers have given her is we've clearly understood that that is her wish, and that is a wish that can be delivered and carried out. 'Now, free at the point of use doesn't preclude the use of independent contractors to deliver the service. So, yeah, we're comfortable with that.' His remarks are the first time that a minister has publicly expressed support for the use of private firms offering assisted dying in England and Wales as part of plans to legalise it. Critics have voiced concerns about the use of private companies in the provision of assisted dying as it would allow firms to profit from the system. 'Money-making enterprise' Danny Kruger, a Conservative MP on the Bill committee who opposes the legislation, said last week: 'It would be a money-making enterprise, quite a lucrative one. There have been estimates given of between 5,000 to 17,000 assisted deaths per year, depending on how it's estimated. 'If the charges employed by Dignitas, which is in a sense the model being proposed here, if they are anything to go by, this could be up to the region of £5,000 to £10,000 per patient. 'So even a small proportion of that would be… a significant multi-million pound business would be possible under this Bill.' The Times reported earlier this month that there could be a limit on the profits that private companies could make from providing the service through the NHS. Wes Streeting, the Health Secretary, has previously warned that providing assisted dying on the NHS would have 'resource implications'. The Cabinet minister, who opposes a change in the law, told Times Radio in November: 'There would be resource implications for doing [assisted dying]. And those choices would come at the expense of other choices.' Mr Kinnock also told The House that he believed there would be 'ample opportunity for scrutiny' for the legislation in Parliament. The Department of Health and Social Care has been contacted for comment.
Yahoo
11-03-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Labour ‘comfortable' with private firms providing assisted dying
Labour is 'comfortable' with private firms providing assisted dying to patients, a health minister has revealed. Stephen Kinnock, the care minister, said assisted dying could be provided on the NHS and be free at the point of use, but that would not 'preclude the use of independent contractors'. The minister, who voted in support of Kim Leadbeater's Terminally Ill Adults Bill, sits on the committee that is examining it to represent the views of the Department of Health and Social Care. Ms Leadbeater's legislation seeks to enable those with fewer than six months to live to receive medical assistance to end their lives. The Government is neutral on assisted dying, but Mr Kinnock and Sarah Sackman, a justice minister, appear on the Bill committee to advise on the workability of its proposals. The care minister told The House magazine: 'Kim has said that she wants this service to be an integral part of the NHS, meaning free at the point of use. 'Certainly the advice that we as ministers have given her is we've clearly understood that that is her wish, and that is a wish that can be delivered and carried out. 'Now, free at the point of use doesn't preclude the use of independent contractors to deliver the service. So, yeah, we're comfortable with that.' His remarks are the first time that a minister has publicly expressed support for the use of private firms offering assisted dying in England and Wales as part of plans to legalise it. Critics have voiced concerns about the use of private companies in the provision of assisted dying as it would allow firms to profit from the system. Danny Kruger, a Conservative MP on the Bill committee who opposes the legislation, said last week: 'It would be a money-making enterprise, quite a lucrative one. There have been estimates given of between 5,000 to 17,000 assisted deaths per year, depending on how it's estimated. 'If the charges employed by Dignitas, which is in a sense the model being proposed here, if they are anything to go by, this could be up to the region of £5,000 to £10,000 per patient. 'So even a small proportion of that would be… a significant multi-million pound business would be possible under this Bill.' The Times reported earlier this month that there could be a limit on the profits that private companies could make from providing the service through the NHS. Wes Streeting, the Health Secretary, has previously warned that providing assisted dying on the NHS would have 'resource implications'. The Cabinet minister, who opposes a change in the law, told Times Radio in November: 'There would be resource implications for doing [assisted dying]. And those choices would come at the expense of other choices.' Mr Kinnock also told The House that he believed there would be 'ample opportunity for scrutiny' for the legislation in Parliament. The Department of Health and Social Care has been contacted for comment.
