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JEREMY CORBYN will warn against Labour’s plans to “hollow out our NHS by continuing Tory underfunding and privatisation” at an emergency rally today.
The former Labour leader will join healthcare workers and campaigners outside Archway Tube station in his Islington North constituency, warning that “more austerity and privatisation is not the answer” to the NHS crisis.
His intervention comes two days after the launch of the Labour manifesto, which failed to rule out cuts to the health service and dropped the party’s previous promise that the “NHS is not for sale.”
Mr Corbyn is standing as an independent against Labour candidate Praful Nargund after being blocked from representing the party, which has now expelled him.
At the rally, the lifelong socialist is expected to say: “Unlike Labour and the Tories, I do not believe the expansion of the private sector is the answer to the NHS crisis.
“I’m proud to have spent my life campaigning with my community for universal public healthcare. With your support, that is what I’ll continue to do.
“In Islington North, we have a message to anybody looking to promote private healthcare: keep your hands off our NHS.”
He will also accuse the government of showing contempt for NHS staff, with junior doctors organised by the British Medical Association set to strike for six days in the run-up to election day.
Having supported striking staff on the picket line, Mr Corbyn will add: “Our NHS is nothing without the cleaners, doctors, nurses, ambulance drivers and reception staff that keep it running.”
He will then walk to Whittington Hospital to hand in a pledge to defend a fully public health service, stand in solidarity with striking NHS staff, champion the creation of a national care service and never take donations from private healthcare firms.
Keep Our NHS Public co-chairman Dr Tony O’Sullivan said: “Keep Our NHS Public is asking the public to vote NHS on July 4 for the restoration and rebuilding of a wholly publicly provided NHS. Jeremy Corbyn has always supported our work.
“Our priorities are fair pay and respect for staff, safe staffing to care for patients and the political will to urgently fund the publicly provided NHS to be amongst the very best health services once again.”
