Starmer's NHS Prescription - Reform or Flatline?

No-Fault Evictions Set to Get the Boot by Summer

Renters in England could soon have a lot more peace of mind, with the government aiming to ban no-fault evictions by next summer. Housing Minister Matthew Pennycook has confirmed the timeline, and Labour’s already jumped in, vowing to strengthen the Renters Reform Bill that the Tories promised - but never quite delivered.

The goal? To level the playing field between landlords and tenants. No more evictions without reason, and landlords won’t be able to block renters just because they have kids or receive benefits. Naturally, landlords have been pushing back, insisting they will need time for the new rules.

Other goodies in the bill include a right for tenants to request pets (finally!), a ban on those dreaded rental bidding wars, and stricter timelines for landlords to fix issues like damp and mould (good news for you student renters, eh?)

It’s a game-changer for renters - if it actually happens. Will landlords adjust, or will they keep barking up the same tree? I guess we’ll find out next summer!

Starmer’s NHS Prescription - Reform or Flatline?

Keir Starmer has delivered some tough love to the NHS, warning it’s time to “reform or die”. After a nine-week check-up by independent peer and top NHS surgeon Lord Darzi, Starmer didn’t sugarcoat it: the NHS is in critical condition. But here’s the kicker - no extra cash injections will come unless the health service gets its act together with some serious reforms.

The findings from the report are as grim as calling up your GP at 8:30am on a Monday morning. According to the report, A&E is in such a state that long waits are likely contributing to an extra 14,000 deaths per year. Ouch. Add to that, the broader issues of declining national health, means that 2.8 million people are out of work due to illness, dragging down both the NHS and the economy. Meanwhile, the UK’s cancer mortality rates, are worse than many other comparable countries. Years of neglect and lack of investment mean that patients are now stuck in a system that no longer flows as it should.

So, what’s Starmer’s big plan to resuscitate the NHS? A 10-year strategy, set to drop next spring. It’s going to take more than a plaster to fix this, and the man at the top of government certainly knows that.

Health Secretary Wes Streeting has already previewed Labour’s medicine, and prescribed “three big shifts”: moving care from hospitals to community settings; going digital; and focusing on prevention over treatment. Sounds simple, right? But with the NHS being the giant that it is, even a small change will feel like moving mountains.

The Conservatives are, surprisingly, not entirely opposed to Labour’s diagnosis. They agree the NHS needs to “modernise, reform, and improve productivity” if it’s going to celebrate another 75 years. However, Shadow Health Secretary, Victoria Atkins, is already throwing a warning shot, saying that Labour will need to back up its promises with action - or face some harsh judgement from voters. The Green party, meanwhile, is less convinced, calling it “hugely disappointing” that Labour’s hooked on reform instead of funnelling in more investment now.

So, will Starmer’s long-term plan actually cure what ails the NHS? Or is it just another political prescription that’ll get lost in a pile of paperwork? With a spring release date now looming, we’ll soon find out if this reform plan is the breath of fresh air the NHS so desperately needs - or just a temporary fix for a system gasping for life.