Keir Starmer alerts the introduction of ‘nanny state measures’
Sir Keir Starmer has signalled that he will bring in further ‘nanny state’ measures to help prevent ill health.
The Prime Minister gave the example of teaching children to brush their teeth as he suggested he could introduce more interventionist policies.
He was also asked about the smoking ban he is planning to introduce, with further suggested measures such as banning smoking in beer gardens.
Asked if he was looking at taxing ultra-processed foods, or the salt and sugar content in products or increasing labelling to improve the public’s health, he did not directly respond.
But he cited the example of supervised tooth brushing before saying there were ‘other things that we will put out there for consultation’.
Keir Starmer highlighted child dentistry as an example of why preventative action was necessary
Labour plans to introduce supervised toothbrushing for young children (Stock image)
‘For six to 10 year olds, the most common reason for going into any children’s hospital is to have your teeth pulled out,’ he told journalists.
‘Now that’s what led us down the road of supervised tooth brushing, which some people said, well, “that’s the nanny state.”
‘But I’m afraid if the cost of not doing it is children actually losing their teeth before they’re 10 years old and or very, very good NHS staff having to use their skills to take teeth out instead of doing other things, then that seems to be a necessary measure.
‘I do think there are other things that we will, you know, put out there for the point of the consultation.’
Health Secretary Wes Streeting appeared to back the PM’s suggestion of introducing further nanny state measures, saying: ‘There’s always those choices and trade-offs about the benefits to public health, and then you know potential downsides that people raise, either believing that it’s too far an encroachment on people’s lives and liberties, or that it might impact on businesses, and you always have to weigh these things up, and we’ll do that.’
He added that the smoking bill would be ‘more ambitious’ than the one the previous government had been planning to introduce.
The Government is also planning to ban outdoor smoking and may try to outlaw disposable vapes
Health Secretary Wes Streeting appeared to back the PM’s suggestion of introducing further nanny state measures, saying: ‘There’s always those choices and trade-offs about the benefits to public health’
Sir Keir and Mr Streeting were speaking during a visit to a London Ambulance Service centre as they launched a public consultation on the next ten years of the NHS.
The website – change.NHS.uk – descended into farce yesterday as the public suggested installing a dog as health secretary, installing a Wetherspoons in every pub – and bringing back Matt Hancock.
But the Liberal Democrats have warned it would be little more than a ‘talking shop’, while the Tories questioned why Labour had no ideas despite being in government for four months and opposition for 14 years.
Mr Streeting’s plans for the health service also include updating the NHS App to summarise all of a patient’s health information, test results and letters.
He said the app has more subscribers than Netflix and operating it ‘should be as easy and even joyful’ as using the streaming platform.
He added: ‘Unless we embrace the technology revolution, we will continue to have a public sector that is creaking and lagging far behind every other service in our life because it hasn’t kept with the times.
‘The NHS is in such a poor state, I’m amazed we’re not still using carrier pigeons.’
However, concerns have been raised around privacy and the safeguarding of the information contained on the app.
