Tory Rod Stewart tells party: we are failing… give Labour a go

Self-professed “long-time Tory” Sir Rod Stewart has called for the government to step down over the NHS crisis.

Sir Rod surprised Sky News viewers when he joined a live phone-in on the issue to say “he has never seen it so bad”, adding the challenges for nurses were “heartbreaking”.

“I personally have been a Tory for a long time but I think this government should stand down now and give the Labour Party a go at it,” he told viewers on Thursday.

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During the call he also offered to pay for ‘10 or 20’ hospital scans after patients spoke about experiencing long waiting lists in the NHS.

The 78-year-old singer-songwriter phoned into the broadcaster’s “your say” segment, which covered people sharing their experience of health care, in an unscheduled appearance.

Sir Rod said he had attended a private clinic on Thursday that was basically “empty” and was prompted to call into the show after hearing about the “ridiculous” situation in the NHS.

“There are people dying because they cannot get scans,” Sir Rod said. “Now listen to me, I don’t need the publicity, I just want to do some good things and this, I think is a good thing. If other people follow me, I’d love it.”

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He then called for the NHS to be rebuilt with “billions and billions” of pounds, before adding: “In all my years in this country I’ve never seen it so bad...change the bloody government.”

Sir Rod explained that he had rung into the show in because he often has Sky News in the background while working on his model railroad.

He said he was a “big fan” of the broadcaster, before breaking into a rendition of his 1971 hit ‘Maggie May’ down the phone.

“I’m so proud to be British and I can’t stand it being in this way,” he concluded.

It as more than 10,000 ambulance staff will join nurses in walkouts next month, as unions escalate strike action.

Ambulance workers in eight services across the UK will stage fresh strikes on 6 February, 6 March and 20 March, union GMB has announced.

They will join tens of thousands of nurses walking out on 6 February, after the Royal College of Nursing earlier announced further industrial action on this date.

It will be the first time nurses and ambulance staff strike on the same day, as NHS leaders fear staff and patients will be impacted by the “prolonged war of attrition” between the government and unions.