Rishi Sunak said that Labor does not rule out meeting the demands of the striking workers. Sunak said consultants are starting a two-day strike and voters are heading to the polls for three by-elections.
In his op-ed for The Telegraph, the prime minister argued that the larger-than-expected fall in inflation showed that his fight against the «dead hand» of price increases, including by offering limited public sector wage increases, was working.
However, he said Labor did not rule out meeting the ba's demands ailing workers and that the Party's borrowing plans will exacerbate inflation.
The consultants' strike has come just 48 hours after a five-day strike by junior doctors and will cause «significant disruption» across the country, according to leaders of the NHS trusts.
Steve Barclay, the Minister for Health, has argued that senior doctors, who earn an average of £134,000 a year, should not go on strike.
The British Medical Association (BMA) is campaigning for «recovery» of real wages to the level of 2008, which corresponds to an increase of about 35%. The government granted a six percent increase.
Voters in the Tory-controlled wards of Uxbridge and South Ruislip, formerly Boris Johnson, Selby and Ainsty, Somerton and Frome elect a new MP on Thursday. doctors went on a five-day strike. Credit: Guy Smallman/Getty Images
Senior Tories have made clear they are prepared to fail on all three occasions, and the result has drawn attention to Mr. Sunak's ability to get the party elected again.
Ahead of the opening of the polls, the prime minister took advantage of data released on Wednesday showing a decline in inflation from 8.7% to 7.9%, saying it confirms his approach to fiscal restraint.
Mr Sunak said: “Take the question of how much to pay our public sector workers. We keep our word and accept the independent advice of the pay authorities. It was right.
“But I have had to make difficult decisions in order to fund these recommendations without increasing inflation, taxes or debt – spend taxpayers' money more efficiently and charge migrants more for using the NHS. Even though they demand an unacceptable 35% increase, Sir Keir Starmer does not rule out meeting their demands.
«And they have lavish plans for spending taxpayer money — not least their plan to borrow an astonishing £28bn a year, which would eliminate any chance of cutting our debt and exacerbating inflation.»The uncertainty has led to the unusual stance of Foreign Secretary James Cleverley, who has publicly urged the Prime Minister not to remove him from office.
He said at a US security conference: “If anyone in the UK is watching, listening – especially you, the Prime Minister – I really want to stay put. I really want to stay where I am.
“Sometime in the future you will see nail marks on the hardwood floor in my office if someone tries to drag me out of there. I absolutely want to stay.”
Mr. Cleverly was among those vying for the role of Secretary of Defense, which is due to be filled, given that Ben Wallace has announced his intention to leave the cabinet and become an MP in the next election.
Officers have warned that the recent NHS strike will have the most severe impact on the health care system ever seen because no other staff can replace consultants.
A total of 101,977 emergency inpatient and outpatient appointments were canceled during the five days of the young doctors' strike in July, according to new figures from NHS England. This brings the total number of appointments canceled in the past six months due to the strike to 698,813.
«National Health Service on High Alert»
Ahead of the latest NHS strike, Mr Barclay urged England's leading doctors to stay on with tens of thousands of patients and agree to the six per cent pay rise they were awarded last week.
He said: «I really appreciate the work of the NHS consultants, so we have fully accepted the recommendations of the independent pay review body, increasing their wages by six per cent this year, on top of a 4.5 per cent increase last year.
«This government has also reformed o retirement taxation rules for consultants that the BMA has pursued for many years. increase to £134,000 a year.»
Matthew Taylor, Chief Executive of the NHS Confederation, said: «The NHS will be on high alert for the next two days as it responds to the strike of tens of thousands of consultants for the first time in more than 10 years.
«Health leaders are doing everything they can to minimize disruption, including by reducing scheduled procedures and appointments. But cancellations and longer waits are still expected as priority should be given to urgent and vital services.”
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