Public row between Wes Streeting and Diane Abbott over the use of the private sector

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A public row has erupted between a member of Labour’s entrance bench and ex-Labour MP Diane Abbott over the use of the private sector.

Shadow well being secretary Wes Streeting recommended Ms Abbott was being hypocritical for saying there was no principled case for utilizing private healthcare to chop NHS ready lists – as he highlighted how she had despatched her son to a private faculty.

Ms Abbott, who had the Labour whip withdrawn final April over claims of antisemitic feedback, hit headlines in 2003 when it was revealed that she put her son in a £10,000-a-year faculty as an alternative of a complete as then prime minister Tony Blair aspired to enhance training.

She and Mr Streeting turned embroiled in a spat on social media when the Labour frontbencher referred to “the principled case for using the private sector to cut NHS waiting lists while we rebuild our NHS – and why the alternative is working class people waiting longer”.

Ms Abbott, a former shadow house secretary, contradicted him, including the remark: “There is no principled case for using the private sector. Just as the “spare capacity” in private well being Wes talks about doesn’t exist. Only NHS medical doctors, nurses and the £million contracts Wes will give them.”

But Labour’s well being spokesman hit again, quote-tweeting her, and including: “But you used the private sector while a Labour government improved public services,” implying she was responsible of double requirements.

He highlighted how she advised The Mirror in 2012: “Since I made that decision, Labour built five new secondary schools in Hackney, one of them with some of the best GCSE results in the country. I wouldn’t have to make the same choice today.”

Mr Streeting this week warned that the NHS would get no additional funding from Labour with out “major surgery” or reform, together with extra use of the private sector.

Last 12 months, Ms Abbott, a long-time socialist who has railed in opposition to privilege, hit out at Labour plans for the NHS, saying proposals by Sir Keir and Mr Streeting have been “designed to create a smokescreen of activity shielding the fact that Labour is just not prepared to put in the level of investment that the NHS needs”.

Labour chief Sir Keir Starmer has mentioned an investigation into whether or not to revive the whip to her is continuous after she recommended Jewish, Irish and traveller individuals skilled “prejudice” however “are not all their lives subject to racism”.