If falling living standards and economic turmoil were the only opposition people had to the Conservative Party, Rishi Sunak might be less than 20 points behind in the polls. But anyone who has recently tried to secure a GP appointment knows that the public service, and in particular the National Health Service, is in crisis.
It is no wonder that improving the NHS is an immediate priority for Sir Keir Starmer if he becomes Prime Minister. Exclusive Ipsos research for the Standard found that 63% of adults said improving health services was one of the three or four issues a Labor government should focus on in its first six months, with cost of living It turns out that it has a much higher priority than 44 percent.
The reality is that the UK needs a strong economy to fund investment in public services such as the NHS, and targeted reforms to ensure that additional funding delivers results. The public generally understands this, but it is up to policymakers to make it a reality.
justice is too late
Given the scale of the disaster and the nature of the cover-up of the infected blood scandal, the question naturally arises, especially “Who is to blame?”
Victims and their families fear that the slow response to the scandal will mean that those responsible will not be held to legal account – and, frankly, many of the people in power at the time are now dead. The Government has stressed that it will vigorously pursue justice for victims, and Work and Pensions Secretary Mel Stride today gave “assurances” that this will include pursuing criminal prosecutions against those responsible for the disaster.
However, there are growing concerns that it may already be too late. Andy Evans, chairman of the Tainted Blood campaign group, said succinctly: “In this case, justice delayed is actually justice denied.”
numbers game
Manchester City have gone some distance as England's best team over the past decade, winning four consecutive league titles, including six of the last seven.
There's another number: 115. This is the number of charges brought against clubs by the Premier League in February 2023, relating to alleged breaches of financial regulations over nine seasons. Although City deny the charges, it was inevitable that some kind of asterisk would be placed on rival fans' records.
Given that if the charges are proven, penalties could include points penalties or, in extreme cases, expulsion from the league, what is needed is a swift and fair conclusion. Until then, the whispering campaign is likely to last longer than the final day drama.
