Health Secretary invokes Bevan’s legacy as he challenges Reform leader to fight over healthcare model
Health Secretary Wes Streeting has launched a blistering assault on Nigel Farage, branding the Reform UK leader a “con artist” and challenging him to a political battle over the future of the NHS with the words: “Bring it on!”
In a combative speech at the Labour Party conference, Streeting accused Farage of wanting to replace Britain’s cherished health service with an insurance-based system that would “check your pocket before your pulse and ask for your credit card before your care.”
The Health Secretary invoked the legacy of NHS founders Nye Bevan and Clement Attlee, declaring Labour stood “on the shoulders of giants” whilst warning delegates they faced “the fight of our lives” to preserve free healthcare.
“What Bevan and Attlee did in the aftermath of war was an act of courage as well as conviction,” Streeting told the conference, positioning himself as defender of the NHS’s founding promise that “when you fall ill, you never have to worry about the bill.”
Battle Lines Drawn
In his most aggressive attack on Reform UK to date, Streeting painted the political landscape as a fundamental clash of values, describing it as “a battle of progressives against reactionaries, patriotism versus nationalism, hope not hate.
The Health Secretary warned that for the first time in generations, the founding principles of the NHS were under direct threat. “Farage wants to replace the NHS with an insurance system,” he declared. “His vision for healthcare is a system that checks your pocket before your pulse and asks for your credit card before your care.”
Taking aim at the Reform leader’s wealth, Streeting added sarcastically: “Well it might be alright for Mr Moneybags, we know he can afford it, but what about those who can’t?”
The Health Secretary didn’t mince words about Farage’s character, stating bluntly: “We should know by now that man is a con artist, posing as a voice for people while working for the interests of the powerful.”
‘Retreat, Not Reform’
Streeting directly challenged Farage’s economic arguments against the NHS, rejecting claims that Britain could no longer afford universal healthcare. “Be in no doubt, it’s not reform he’s offering, it’s retreat,” he warned delegates.
“He says we can’t afford in this century the NHS we could afford in the last. Well if that’s the fight Farage wants: bring it on.”
The confrontational tone marks a significant escalation in Labour’s rhetoric against Reform UK, which recent polling suggests is gaining ground with voters dissatisfied with both major parties. Labour strategists now view Farage’s party as their primary electoral threat ahead of the next general election.
Insurance Model Fears
Labour’s attack centres on Farage’s previous comments supporting an insurance-based healthcare model. The Reform leader has openly discussed the French mutual insurance system, telling LBC earlier this year he was “open to anything” when it came to NHS reform.
According to Labour’s analysis, an insurance-based system could see Britons paying over £120 for a GP appointment, with A&E visits potentially costing upwards of £1,300. Streeting warned such a system would create “a poor service for poor people, with working people forced to pay to go private.”
The Health Secretary also raised concerns about Reform’s immigration policies, warning that abolishing indefinite leave to remain would drive out thousands of NHS workers. There are doctors, nurses, care workers, NHS staff earning less than £60,000 a year who’ve come to this country who have given back, not just through their taxes, but through their service,” he said.
Scientific Credibility Questioned
Streeting also attacked Farage’s credibility on health matters, expressing shock at the Reform leader’s refusal to take sides on whether paracetamol had links to autism. “That’s not someone I think should be trusted with healthcare in our country,” he declared.
He further condemned Farage for giving a platform at Reform’s conference to someone who claimed “the Covid vaccine gave the royal family cancer,” adding: “You can’t trust this man with your health.
In a personal jab, Streeting quipped: “If that’s the sort of health advice Nigel Farage is taking, maybe that’s why he’s the same age as Brad Pitt but looks 20 years older.
Labour’s Defence Strategy
The fierce rhetoric reflects Labour’s determination to frame the next election as a binary choice between their vision of a reformed but free NHS and what they characterise as Reform’s dismantling of universal healthcare.
“Not just for the NHS or even for the survival of this Government but for everything we believe in,” Streeting told delegates, elevating the healthcare debate to an existential political battle.
The Health Secretary positioned Labour as the sole defender of free healthcare, warning party members: “If we fail, there is every chance that Nigel Farage will come in and say ‘Labour has failed on the NHS, let’s do away with the NHS, let’s have an insurance-based system.'”
Reform Hits Back
Farage has previously accused Streeting of “lying about our NHS plans,” maintaining that Reform’s current policy documents support healthcare remaining free at the point of delivery. The party’s 2024 manifesto called for 20 per cent tax relief on private healthcare and insurance, whilst pledging to use more independent healthcare capacity paid for by the NHS.
The escalating war of words comes as both parties prepare for crucial local elections in May, where Labour faces defending councils against a resurgent Reform UK that has been making inroads with traditional Labour voters.
As Streeting concluded his fighting talk, his message was clear: Labour views the battle over the NHS as central to Britain’s political future. With his “bring it on” challenge to Farage, the Health Secretary has ensured healthcare will remain at the heart of British political debate as parties position themselves for the next general election.
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Image Credit:
Wes Streeting — official cabinet portrait (cropped), licensed under CC BY 4.0
