A little over 24 hours after Boris Johnson stood in the Commons Chamber and defended the NHS surcharge remaining in place for overseas NHS and social care workers, the Prime Minister performed a U-turn. A No. 10 spokesperson has confirmed this afternoon that Johnson has asked the Home Office and Department for Health to exempt healthcare workers from the NHS surcharge, which is a fee for migrants to use the health service.
This is being chalked up as a win for Sir Keir Starmer – given that it was the Labour leader who challenged Johnson on the issue at Prime Minister’s Questions. While it’s a coup for the opposition, this is in many ways a victory for the power of the Conservative parliamentary party. Johnson didn’t change his mind after the Labour leader’s questioning – instead, the change in approach came after a day of Tory backbenchers voicing concerns both publicly and privately.
Comments
Join the debate for just $5 for 3 months
Be part of the conversation with other Spectator readers by getting your first three months for $5.
UNLOCK ACCESS Just $5 for 3 monthsAlready a subscriber? Log in