The Labour leader said children were "probably the biggest casualty" of the Tories' sticking-plaster approach to politics over the last 14 years, adding that if the government were a parent they could be charged with neglect.
"The moment you do anything on child health, people say, 'You're going down the road of the nanny state. We want to have that fight," he told reporters.
Before a visit to a children's hospital, Starmer criticised the Tories' record on child health. "They are probably the biggest casualty of sticking-plaster politics in the last 14 years. Frankly, if parents had treated children as badly as the UK government has, they would be charged with neglect. It's that bad."
This story is from the January 11, 2024 edition of The Guardian.
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This story is from the January 11, 2024 edition of The Guardian.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.
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