Coalition MPs linked to privatised NHS

More than 70 MPs in the coalition government have links to private healthcare interests, according to the Unite general union.

Seventy one coalition MPs — 64 Tories and seven Liberal Democrats -— including past and present health secretaries Andrew Lansley and Jeremy Hunt feature in Unite’s dossier.

While preparing the white paper that led to the act in 2009, then shadow health secretary Andrew Lansley received £21,000 to his personal office from John Nash, then chairman of the private healthcare company Care UK. In 2013, 96% of Care UK’s business, amounting to over £400 million, came from the NHS.

Current health secretary Jeremy Hunt received two donations to his constituency office from hedge fund boss Andrew Law. Law has donated over £600,000 to the Tories and his firm holds multi-million healthcare investments.

Seven Tory MPs have received funding from Robin Crispin Odey, whose hedge fund Odey Asset Management part-owns health giant Circle. Aside from running the first fully privatised NHS hospital at Hinchingbrooke, Circle has won a £120 million contract to run musculoskeletal services in Bedfordshire.

Unite general secretary Len McCluskey said: “The sheer scale of this conflict of interest is staggering, but it is the ongoing sell-off of our NHS that makes this the real scandal for our democracy.

“From lobbying links to investments and in some cases direct donations, scores of coalition MPs who voted for the NHS sell-off had links to the very private healthcare companies which stood to profit.”

www.unitetheunion.org/news/71-coalition-mps-who-voted-for-nhs-sell-off-linked-to-health-firms