Reform UK’s new chief economic adviser said NHS should be privatised
Reform's new recruit also called for an end to the triple lock on state pensions
Reform UK’s newly-appointed economic adviser, Mitchell Palmer, wants the NHS to be privatised and called for the state pension triple lock to be scrapped.
Palmer also argued in favour of migration as a tool for “global poverty alleviation”.
Robert Jenrick, Reform’s economic spokesperson appointed Palmer, a rightwing economist at the free-market Adam Smith Institute, as one of his chief aides.
As reported by The Guardian, Palmer has previously said on a podcast hosted by former Tory MP Steve Baker that “it’s long past time” to privatise the NHS.
Palmer, who is originally from New Zealand, said: “The reality is the NHS is a horrifically performing system. It establishes much lower cancer survival rates.
“It has obvious rationing – we all know that when we try and get a GP appointment or a specialist appointment. It has a pretty bad safety record – that’s not for lack of spending.”
Reform’s new chief economic adviser also called for an end to the triple lock, arguing it was an “expensive” and “unsustainable” way to protect pensioners.
Palmer told GB News in April that he disagreed with Jenrick’s decision to back the triple lock.
Last year, Reform had not committed to keeping the triple lock and said it was “up for debate”.
In April, the party said it would cut the welfare bill by “billions of pounds” to keep the triple lock, which guarantees that the state pension will rise by the highest of earnings, inflation and 2.5% every year.
The Guardian also found that in 2020 when he worked in the New Zealand Parliament, he argued online for allowing people to migrate to alleviate global poverty.
Palmer wrote: “Hot take: Allowing people in from abroad who choose to come to NZ and earn *significantly* more than they would at home is not slavery. In fact, it is one of the best contributions we can make to global poverty alleviation.”
He has also backed imposing a land-value tax and removing VAT-exemptions, which are at odds with party policy.
Reacting to Palmer’s appointment, a Labour source said: “Reform have long talked up selling off the NHS to the highest bidder and going after ordinary people’s rights. It’s no surprise they’re hiring a brainchild of those types of damaging policies. Nigel Farage’s party have already shown the public who they are. It’s time to believe them.”
Olivia Barber is a reporter at Left Foot Forward
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