NHS Surcharge - Starmer Trounces Boris

Some commentators initially concluded this week that alleged Prime Minister Alexander Boris de Pfeffel Johnson had done rather better in his weekly Prime Minister’s Questions encounter with Labour leader Keir Starmer. But as so often before, Bozo The Clown’s great achievement began to unravel with giddying speed.

This time, it was Starmer’s prompting on the NHS surcharge levied on workers from outside the UK, even those who work for the NHS, and in the care sector. That this policy was unpopular was clear from the response to refusals to reconsider the charge, despite Bozo name checking two foreign nurses who saw him through his brush with Covid-19.

At the beginning of the week, the Independent had told “Priti Patel has sparked anger by refusing to cut or axe the huge fees paid by foreign healthcare workers to help fund the NHS - just three weeks after promising to ‘review’ the controversial charges”. Bozo must have known Starmer would tackle him on it. And he had the opportunity to scrap it.

But, as the Guardian reported after PMQs, “The prime minister resisted pressure from Labour’s Keir Starmer to amend the policy, telling MPs that he ‘accepts and understands the difficulties faced by our amazing NHS staff’ but added: ‘We must look at the realities … those contributions help us to raise about £900m.’” It was in fact closer to £90 million.

The result of Bozo’s refusal? “Overseas health and care workers on the coronavirus frontline reacted with fury on Wednesday after Boris Johnson refused to exempt them from the NHS surcharge, insisting that it was ‘the right way forward’”. And then Bozo cracked: the sound of this latest screeching 180º U-Turn verged on the deafening.

The BBC reported yesterday “NHS staff and care workers from overseas will no longer have to pay an extra charge towards the health service after mounting pressure from MPs. Boris Johnson's spokesman said the PM had asked the Home Office and Department for Health to exempt NHS and care workers ‘as soon as possible’. Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer said it was ‘a victory for common decency’”. Meaning a victory for Himself, too.

Ms Patel had to grin (not difficult) and bear it (rather more difficult): “Those working to save lives in our NHS and social care sector are heroes. That’s why, given these extraordinary circumstances, [Matt Hancock] and I are working together to remove NHS and care workers from the NHS surcharge as soon as possible”. The response was derisory.

James O’Brien put her straight. “The circumstances are no more ‘extraordinary’ than yesterday. When you defended this disgraceful policy to the hilt. We have eyes. We have ears. We have voices”. Sunny Hundal said simply “You're an embarrassment”.

Peter Walker observed “Asked about why Boris Johnson changed his mind about the NHS levy, Matt Hancock responds with an openly shameless answer about why it's the right thing to do, and will be done quickly, as if No 10 had not been arguing precisely the opposite about five hours ago”. Jay Rayner added “Two U Turns in 24 hours. Apart from anything else this rabble just aren’t very good at the basics of politics, are they”.

And Pippa Crerar of the Mirror concluded “So maybe Keir Starmer's PMQs performance yesterday was actually quite good after all?” Bozo PMQs score draw? No chance.

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