Significant majority support for both the nurses and ambulance strikes, ?@YouGov? finds, as opposed to rail strikes (which is draining). The Government will lose both disputes humiliatingly unless it wins round public opinion, and it’s inflation argument isn’t working. pic.twitter.com/AkjCAC4kQ1

— Tom Newton Dunn (@tnewtondunn) December 20, 2022

The above sets out some of the latest YouGov polling on public attitudes towards the various sets of industrial action within the public sector. As can be seen the nurses and ambulance staff are highly regarded and it is going to take more than the current efforts by ministers to win public backing.

What has been particularly pathetic has been the effort to try to blame Starmer for what’s happening with at least one cabinet minister regularly producing Tweets to this effect. The Tories have been in power since May 2010 and it is very difficult to wriggle out of responsibility.

The real danger starts to come if the ambulance and nursing actions produce what can be clearly seen to be identifiable fatalities that certainly would not have happened but for the dispute. This is very dangerous ground indeed.

Sunak is fortunate that Parliament is now on its Christmas break and he doesn’t have to face Prime Minister’s Questions. He never appears comfortable with NHS issues.

Mike Smithson