Good morning. As of 7 AM today, resident doctors at hospitals across England have commenced a six-day strike. While a portion of these doctors will continue their duties, the number participating in the strike is expected to significantly affect the quality of care available in hospitals. This marks the 15th occasion that resident doctors, formerly referred to as junior doctors, have taken this action since they initiated a campaign in 2023 aimed at restoring their pay to levels prior to the austerity measures that followed the financial crisis.
This morning, Health Secretary Wes Streeting introduced a new statistic in his ongoing public relations effort against the British Medical Association (BMA), the union that has organized the strikes. He confirmed a figure previously reported by the Daily Mail, stating that the strikes by resident doctors have incurred a cost of £3 billion to the country.
During an interview on the Today programme, when questioned about the credibility of this figure as an official government statistic, Streeting responded, “We estimate that strikes are costing £50 million each day. Therefore, this accurately reflects the financial impact of these strikes.”
However, when it was pointed out that the BMA claims that £3 billion represents the amount needed to fulfill the pay rise demands of resident doctors, Streeting disagreed. He stated, “It is correct that to fully restore pay to 2008 levels, using the Retail Price Index for inflation, would require an expenditure of approximately £3 billion annually. If we consider that other NHS staff would likely seek similar pay adjustments, the total cost could rise to around £30 billion per year. This figure exceeds the entire budget allocated to the Ministry of Justice for managing the criminal justice system.”
This situation highlights the unyielding stance of the BMA. Despite having received a substantial public sector pay increase of 28.9% since the current government assumed office, the BMA still proceeded to strike within weeks of this increase.
Andrew Gregory and Peter Walker will provide further updates on Streeting’s remarks regarding the strike.
Below is today’s agenda:
- 7 AM: Resident doctors initiate a six-day strike in England. (Historically, many doctors have opted to continue working rather than participate in BMA strikes.)
- 9:15 AM: John Swinney, leader of the SNP and Scottish First Minister, holds a campaign event addressing fuel prices.
- 9:30 AM: Anas Sarwar, leader of Scottish Labour, conducts a campaign event focused on pothole policies.
- 2 PM: Russell Findlay, leader of the Scottish Conservatives, launches his manifesto.
- 11:30 AM: A lobby briefing is held at Downing Street.
- Morning: Ed Davey, leader of the Liberal Democrats, campaigns in Newcastle.
- 12:30 PM: Nigel Farage, leader of Reform UK, holds a press conference in Warwickshire.
- Afternoon: Military planners from approximately 35 countries convene at the UK’s Permanent Joint Headquarters in Northwood, north-west London, to discuss strategies for keeping the Strait of Hormuz open following the conclusion of the Iran conflict.
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