Tory Strategy chief’s firm lobbied for private health care

A company run by the Tories’ chief election strategist Lynton Crosby devised a lobbying strategy to increase the “size, acceptability and profitability” of private health care in the UK the Independent has reported.

There had been concern previously about Crosby attempting to influence a government he also advises when he was found to be lobbying on behalf of the tobacco industry.

Labour are making the NHS the centrepiece of the final week of their campaign with Ed Miliband today expected to promise to halt NHS privatisation “within days” of forming a government.

Responding to the story in the Independent, Labour Shadow Health Secretary Andy Burnham said:

“This document shines a light on Tory privatisation in the NHS. It exposes links between the NHS privatisation agenda and the man who is masterminding the Tories’ campaign. 

“David Cameron has serious questions to answer today. It looks increasingly like Lynton Crosby’s lobbying firm has been at the forefront of a drive to expand private healthcare interests in the NHS. David Cameron must now come clean on the impact Lynton Crosby’s business interests have on Tory policy. 

“You can’t trust the Tories with the NHS. They have put the NHS up for sale and seen patient care go backwards with a crisis in A&E and people waiting longer to see their GP. 

“Labour has a better plan. We will repeal Tory privatisation rules, invest in 20,000 more nurses and 8,000 more doctors and put the right values back at the heart of the NHS: patients before profits.”