Rishi Sunak tried to blame NHS waiting lists on striking doctors, but Susanna Reid was having none of it
With the Conservative Party Conference steaming ahead, Rishi Sunak has been in almost non-stop interview mode, though we’ve learnt very little from his answers so far.
Good Morning Britain’s Susanna Reid tried to pin him down to a clear response on the damage to the NHS due to successive Tory government’s. It’s a masterclass in not standing for political flannel.
'The NHS is broken under your watch isn't it?' @susannareid100
Prime Minister Rishi Sunak says strikes are 'the number one reason' to blame for long waiting lists. pic.twitter.com/i459Y7ee1n
— Good Morning Britain (@GMB) October 3, 2023
“4.5 million people before the pandemic.”
“Well, you’re talking about under my watch. Let’s just talk about it.”
“You were part of the government, by the way – before the pandemic.”
Let’s take a moment to appreciate whatever this face was.
People appreciated seeing a politician pressed on an issue. They weren’t at all impressed by Sunak trying to blame the long waiting lists on strikes.
1.
UNREAL https://t.co/cC771otKHT
— Marina Purkiss (@MarinaPurkiss) October 3, 2023
2.
Have they been striking for 13 years? https://t.co/GNqzol4ua2
— S19mon (@1Hanmdd) October 3, 2023
3.
This is simply not true, as @RishiSunak knows full well.
By Jan 2020, the NHS waiting list had ballooned to 4.4 million.
Before Covid.
Before strikes.
But *after* 10 years of brutal austerity budgets & NHS understaffing – a political choice to inflict pain on patients. https://t.co/klvUFGroGF
— Rachel Clarke (@doctor_oxford) October 3, 2023
4.
Correction: “Strikes are the number one *convenient* reason to blame for long waiting lists.” https://t.co/4nYLsqplhV
— Jonathan Pie (@JonathanPieNews) October 3, 2023
5.
Everyone knows that what Sunak is saying is total nonsense (I could be much more robust). He might just convince himself, but no one else. Strikes are a protest at waiting lists and a reaction to them, not their cause. https://t.co/A73LnV2oIC
— Richard Murphy (@RichardJMurphy) October 3, 2023
6.
Pure waffle from Rishi as per. https://t.co/XLZFB421RY
— Umir (@umirf1) October 3, 2023
7.
Rishi is saying doctors are to blame for the NHS crisis, this is a great strategy and one we can use in other areas too. Let’s blame teachers for RAAC, the elderly for the fact there’s virtually no social care and victims for the fact our prisons are overcrowded & understaffed https://t.co/PjF82aEaP8
— Mark Francewanker (@FlyOnNo10Wall) October 3, 2023
8.
Omg – “ I come from a gp family line a again”. This guy is defo operated by ChatGPT ♂️
— Rez (@REZ_CEO) October 3, 2023
9.
One of the things simply not discussed enough is that Sunak is just plain rude when he doesn’t get his way. Deeply patronising towards Susanna Reid who correctly points out that waiting lists were already at all time high. https://t.co/Z7L4p1Dk1y
— Anna (@ox_anna29) October 3, 2023
10.
Extra funding diverted to privatisation https://t.co/pKbsvPzLI7
— Candy Gregory (@candyspets2) October 3, 2023
11.
This is an outright lie. https://t.co/8TKyd4RHWG
— Frances 'Cassandra' Coppola (@Frances_Coppola) October 3, 2023
If you were wondering about the ‘Bill’ Sunak referred to, this is his heartbreaking situation.
Susanna Reid tells the Prime Minister about Bill, an 80 year pensioner who struggled to pay the vet bill for his dog and whose monthly food bill has shot up.
From his answer its clear that multi millionaire Rishi Sunak doesn't give a f*ck about Bill. #GMB pic.twitter.com/HX1uLft6hf
— Saul Staniforth (@SaulStaniforth) October 3, 2023
READ MORE
Susanna Reid wasn’t letting Nigel Farage off the hook – and it’s just glorious
Source GMB Image Screengrab
