The pointlessness of the junior doctors’ strike

Junior doctors are back out on strike in England today, walking out this morning for five days. The timing of this particular strike is highly political, given medics will return to work just before polling day – but it is also highly pointless: something NHS leaders have been quick to highlight. The election campaign is the one period when no politician can resolve the dispute over doctors’ pay. Rishi Sunak is not going to change his mind and award the doctors the 35 per cent raise they have been demanding, but neither could he if he wanted to because of the election purdah rules. Labour, on the other hand, aren’t in power. 

A number of the BMA junior doctors’ committee (JDC) spokespeople have suggested that Labour coming into government would change the way the negotiations went. There is, within the committee at least, a strong anti-Tory sentiment, so it might be appealing to damage the Conservatives further by causing disruption in the health service just as most voters are making up their minds.