Former Health Secretary Stephen Dorrell joins Julia Hartley-Brewer for his verdict on the latest junior doctors’ strike — and why Wes Streeting must not give in again.
After last year’s 29% pay deal, the BMA is now demanding another 26%, with strike action already costing the NHS an estimated £3 billion since 2023.
Dorrell warns that every Health Secretary eventually learns the same lesson about the BMA, and says ministers must stand firm on what is rational, affordable and fair. Julia also takes aim at the absurdity of using 2008 as the benchmark for “full pay restoration”, arguing public service pay contributed to the unsustainable economic environment that contributed to the 2008 financial crash.
Also: Tom Slater joins Julia to take on a wider story of national decline — from a student loan system that traps young people in spiralling debt, to a university conveyor belt producing too many costly degrees and too few British-trained doctors. Why are bright young people being locked out of medical school while the political class pretends immigration is the only answer?
And then there’s the collapse of law and order. Julia reacts to the case of a Waitrose worker sacked for confronting a shoplifter, and asks why decent employees are punished while thieves are effectively given free rein.
Plus: should Kanye West be banned from performing at Wireless after his antisemitic outbursts, or is Britain once again applying totally inconsistent rules depending on who says what?
And finally, a rare note of optimism as Julia and Tom celebrate the Artemis 2 mission and the spirit of exploration that still lifts humanity above the daily grind of broken Britain.
Julia Hartley-Brewer broadcasts on Talk from Monday to Thursday, 10AM to 1PM.
Available on YouTube and streaming platforms, along with DAB+ radio and your smart speaker.