WES Streeting took a swipe at the Prime Minister yesterday, branding him too “technocratic”.
The Health Secretary called the Government a “maintenance department for the country” and said it was failing to communicate its achievements.
It fuels talk Mr Streeting could run to topple Sir Keir Starmer after months of dire polling.
Mr Streeting told The New Statesman he was frustrated at government.
He said: “The problem with a practical, technocratic approach is if someone says, ‘I’ve got a maintenance company and mine’s cheaper,’ why wouldn’t people go, ‘OK, we’ll give that maintenance team a try’?”
No10 yesterday said that the Cabinet was united, insisting the Health Secretary was talking about how “the public voted for change”.
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“That’s what they want to see delivered, and again, that is exactly what the Government is focused on doing.”
Yesterday Mr Streeting urged striking doctors to stop “playing games with patients’ lives” as he offered the BMA a last-ditch chance to save Christmas and call off next week’s cruel walkouts.
He said: “I am going over the head of the BMA and appealing directly to resident doctors to urge them to vote for this deal.
“This is a good deal for doctors and offers the chance to end the strikes before Christmas and start the new year on a new page.”
