After backtracking on leaked comments last year, the UKIP leader tells Radio 4 he still supports privatising healthcare
UKIP leader Nigel Farage has again suggested that he would support privatising the the NHS. In an interview with BBC political editor Nick Robinson, Farage admitted that his party were not behind him on the issue but that he had not changed his opinion:
“I triggered a debate within UKIP that was outright rejected by my colleagues, so I have to accept that. As time goes on, this is a debate that we’re all going to have to return to.”
Farage was responding to Robinson’s questions about a film uncovered last November by the Guardian, in which he told UKIP supporters that the he believed the NHS would be better funded by an insurance based system. He said:
“There is no question that healthcare provision is going to have to be very much greater in 10 years than it is today, with an ageing population, and we’re going to have to find ways to do it.”
Andy Burnham MP, Labour’s Shadow Health Secretary has responded to Farage’s comments:
“Nigel Farage has confirmed that a vote for UKIP is a vote for the privatisation of the NHS and for a full American healthcare system.
“Farage admits he says one thing in public about the NHS but another behind closed doors. He has shown UKIP’s statements on protecting the NHS to be hollow.
“UKIP claim to stand up for working people, but in reality they are more Tory than the Tories. Farage will never be able to distance himself from his real views. He should be honest with the public.”
72 Responses to “Farage admits he still wants a private NHS”
Xaider
There aren’t any policies on the NHS?
I swear individuals such as yourself intentionally sit in a deluded bubble and ignore things which DO exist just to claim they don’t. Many policies have been on the UKIP website for a year now on the exact same place. The fact you bang on and on claiming the same thing is absolutely pathetic.
It makes me want to puke as to how illogical that is, no wonder the UK is the laughing stock of Europe with an unintelligent workforce that must stare at walls denying human existence exists – that’s what you remind me of, complete and utter out of this world alien-like logic.
No ones manifesto has been released yet.
McQueue
Oh Leon, Leon, sorry but I don’t care.
Bigotry and hate? You show your unhinged descent into unsubstantiated claims – it must be hard to be so mentally insignificant as you.
Guest
Keep hating on the UK, foreigner.
Guest
Oh yes, the truth “abuses” you. How dare people speak the truth, as you wield your PC bat, calling anyone who isn’t part of your intellectual in-growth a “left winger”.
Guest
You evidendly care, as you’re here spouting off your hate.
You keep screaming that not being just like you is “unhinged”, that not refusing facts is a “descent”, that addressing you using your own term is “unsubstantiated”…
You keep saying it’s so hard to be so far above your well-below-mental-insignificance or whatever other excuse you’re using today, Dick Queue / Lord Blagger.
(It’s your porn name, right?)