The Labour candidate challenging Jeremy Corbyn in Islington North, Praful Nargund, is a private healthcare profiteer. Corbyn is running as an independent after Keir Starmer purged him as part of an elite attack on democracy. Starmer’s Labour also imposed Nargund as its candidate without a vote from local members.
As the Canary previously reported, Nargund was director of Create Health from March 2015 to December 2023.
Now, as Red Collective revealed on X, documents show Create Health made over £16m in profit from UK patients in just nine months while Nargund was director.
Nargund: “privatisation of healthcare is very, very important”
Comments also surfaced from Nargund in 2015 that raises more questions over his suitability to have power over our NHS as an MP. He said:
Privatisation of healthcare is very, very important and it’s about what the private sector can do to prove its worth to the public sector
Nargund has since claimed he “fully and proudly believes in an NHS that is free at the point of use”. This comment still leaves the NHS open to Labour’s plans to increase private provision of NHS services.
In Labour’s manifesto, it states “Labour will use spare capacity in the independent sector to ensure patients are diagnosed and treated more quickly”.
Back in 2012, the NHS was legally abolished as a public institution under the Health and Social Care Act. This opened it up to the private sector like never before.
Then, until 2022, the amount of NHS privatisation increased from 3% in 2011 to almost 10%.
An analysis from We Own It shows the cost of the NHS buying for-profit services from the private sector.
From January 2012 to May 2024, profiteers creamed £6.7bn from NHS budgets. In other words, that’s ten million a week.
Accordingly, Nargund has refused to attend multiple hustings in Islington North including one on the NHS. Corbyn said:
I’m happy to debate the Labour candidate anytime, anywhere. It is beyond disappointing that he isn’t willing to do the same. If you’re running to be an MP, you’ve got to be prepared to face questions from your community.
Corbyn’s commitment to the NHS
Speaking about NHS privatisation, Corbyn also said:
It is more sensible and cheaper to invest in an NHS free at the point of need provided by the public sector.
I do not support privatisation and I do not support expanding the private health sector.
One voter in Islington North said:
Jeremy embodies the values that the NHS was founded on, the values of compassion of care, of equality. I think it’s disgraceful what’s happened to him. He’s been serving this community for decades and decades
Corbyn is anti-imperial and stands up for public services like the NHS. It’s highly important that he is returned as an MP.
Featured image via Labour Party – YouTube and Owen Jones – YouTube
