Streeting accuses Farage of 'miserabilist' vision for UK

The health secretary has shared some strong words about Reform UK leader Nigel Farage, saying he has a "miserablist, declinist" view of the UK. This is the most direct criticism from a senior Labour figure so far.

Wes Streeting expressed these thoughts during a speech at the Fabian Society, a group with left-leaning views, emphasizing the importance of taking the "populist right" seriously.

He claimed that Farage doesn't support a universal health service that's "free at the point of use" and accused him of lacking ambition for the UK, something Labour completely disagrees with.

Farage fired back, saying it's actually Labour that has a gloomy outlook and that Reform offers a "hopeful alternative."

Streeting explained to his audience that Farage's main point is that what worked in the 20th century isn't feasible in the 21st.

"People shouldn't have to choose between a health service that treats them promptly and an NHS that's free at the point of use," he said.

Nigel Farage has hinted before that the NHS might be swapped out for an insurance-based system. But Reform's policy papers say healthcare should always be free when you get it.

"The populist right is coming for us, and we need to get serious about beating them," Streeting said, mentioning that Farage could be beaten by "fixing the NHS."

The health secretary talked about meeting folks on the campaign trail every day who felt let down by the NHS, having to wait too long for ambulances or surgeries.

Some voters had "terrible experiences, and because of how they've been treated, they were voting for Reform," he said.

After the speech, Farage posted on social media that Streeting "is so scared of Reform that he's now lying about our NHS plans."

"Let me be clear, the NHS will always be free when you get it under a Reform government," he added.

Farage has mentioned that his big goal is to win the next general election, riding on the recent momentum Reform has been enjoying.

Even though his party has mostly been seen as a challenge to the Conservatives, it's been making headway against both Labour and the Tories in recent opinion polls.

A recent YouGov poll asked people who they thought would make the best prime minister and showed similar support levels for both Nigel Farage and Sir Keir Starmer. Shortly after Streeting started his speech at the historic Guildhall in central London, a climate protester stood on her chair and began to heckle him.

"When we voted for Labour, we voted for change," the protester shouted. "But your government keeps subsidizing the Drax power station."

The North Yorkshire wood-burning power station gets big government subsidies but has been accused of using wood from unsustainable sources and was fined last year after Ofgem found it had given the watchdog inaccurate data about the type of material it used.

Streeting didn't stop his speech, and the woman was gently escorted out.m the hall as she continued to warn about "climate breakdown."

Almost right away, another woman stood up and started shouting. She was also escorted out.

These interruptions led the health secretary to stray from his planned speech, saying he was "in politics to make real change, not just shout from the sidelines." The audience responded with applause.