Na h-Eileanan an Iar’s Angus MacNeil has reacted with shock to the disclosure from ‘We own it’ – a campaign group against the privatisation of public services – that Labour candidates are en masse refusing to sign their pledge not to privatise the NHS.
Mr MacNeil has signed the pledge.
Commenting Angus MacNeil said:
“This should be one of the things that should be easiest for Labour to back, but it just goes to show people how far Labour have moved from the principles of what was a Labour party back in 1945 to today’s party.
“In fact, as we know, the manifesto of 2024 for Labour resembles the Conservative manifesto of 1974 more than it resembles any previous Labour manifesto.
“Hence the reticence of any Labour candidates to back the public National Health service.
“Labour should be behind the National Health Service in Na h-Eileanan an Iar and across Scotland and not raising causes for concern.
“It is concerning that Labour’s shadow chancellor Rachel Reeves confirmed that Labour are looking at a derisory spending increase for the NHS by an even lower amount than George Osbourne and the austerity Tories did, at 1.1 per cent versus 1.8 percent.
“So, this coupled with the lack of guarantees about no privatisation is very concerning.”
