Parliament’s resignation reflects ‘disillusionment’ among Tory voters, says Wes Streeting
The defection of a former Conservative health minister to the Labor Party reflects the “dissatisfaction and disillusionment felt by millions of Tory voters”, Wes Streeting has said.
Dr. Dan Poulter, a former One Nation Tory, dramatically announced that he would take over the Labor whip until the next election because the Conservative party had become a ‘nationalist party of the right’, no longer prioritizing the NHS or had a ‘compassionate view’. on important issues, he told the Observer.
Poulter, also a part-time mental health doctor at an NHS hospital, said his experiences working more than 20 night shifts in an overcrowded emergency department last year were “truly life-changing”.
He said: “I couldn’t go on with that any longer. I need to be able to look my NHS colleagues in the eyes, my patients in the eyes and my constituents in the eyes. And I know the Conservative government has failed on what I care about most, which is the NHS and its patients.”
Although he will not be re-elected to the House of Commons at the next election for his seat in Central Suffolk and North Ipswich, he hopes to have a role in advising the Labor Party on its mental health policy after the election . Labor has a “track record” of improving the NHS, Poulter noted.
Streeting, the Heath’s shadow secretary, told Sky News: “I think it’s a reflection of the state of the modern Conservative party.
“I think it reflects the dissatisfaction and disillusionment felt by millions of Conservative voters across the country, who are considering who to vote for in the next general election.
“I think it also reflects, frankly, a changed Labor Party, that someone like Dan Poulter, who has worked in the NHS, cares passionately about the NHS, has come to the conclusion that only Labor can be trusted with the NHS.”
Streeting said he was “not aware” of whether any offers had been made by Labor to Poulter over his defection.
Chris Philp, the police minister, refused to accept Poulter’s criticism of the Conservative Party. He told the BBC show Sunday with Laura Kuenssberg: “We value what they (the NHS) do and that is why, as I said, we are investing record amounts in both education and health. That’s why we have a record number of police officers.”
“We now spend £165 billion a year on the NHS, which is more than ever at any time in history,” he added, also pointing to the recruitment of more doctors and nurses. “That is not a sign that any party is giving the NHS less priority. That is a sign that a political party, the Conservatives, is investing heavily in our NHS because it is a priority.”
The cheerful minister went so far as to say the Tories would see their poll numbers “significantly improve” closer to the general election. “It’s clear that people are grumpy towards the government right now. But as we get closer to the election, it’s not so much a referendum on grumpiness. It actually becomes a choice: who do you want to lead the country?”
A number of Tories have lashed out at Poulter, questioning his voting record in Parliament, his work as Health Secretary during the coalition years and his absence from his constituency and Westminster.
The defection was a major blow to Rishi Sunak’s authority, ahead of what is expected to be a tough week with the Tories expected to lose up to half of the remaining seats in local authorities. The losses of the West Midlands and Tees Valley mayors this week could also fuel talk of a Conservative leadership challenge.
In what marked the second defection under Sunak, after Lee Anderson left the Reform party, and the third of this parliament, after Christian Wakeford, Poulter urged Sunak to call a general election ‘as soon as possible’ .