Health Secretary Wes Streeting has declared around £175,000 in donations from Private Healthcare suppliers who, co-incidentally, are in line for multi-million-pound contracts from the NHS. A spokesman for Streeting confirmed the donations were 'normal, reasonable and probably used to buy stuff', adding, 'and there's no way any British politician would be influenced when awarding contracts by any donations'. A straw poll of Labour cabinet ministers seemed to confirm this point of view, insisting that there was 'nothing to see here'.
Some politicians routinely accept donations, sometimes in the form of hospitality, sometimes in plain brown envelopes. 'Ornate envelopes aren't value for money,' suggested the spokesman, adding, 'and are probably more traceable.'
No envelopes, plain brown or ornate, appear to have been declared this Parliament, however as Labour are keen to point out it's only been a few weeks. Â
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With Russia rattling nuclear-tipped sabres amid their three day war in Ukraine rapidly approaching year three, UK Health Secretary Wes Streeting appears unconcerned.
'He thinks the damage that can be done to the health service by a thermonuclear conflagration is nothing compared to what the Tories did,' said a spokesman today.
'And that pales into insignificance when you look at what he's planning to do,' he added.