Daisy Cooper Accuses Sir Keir Starmer of Diverting NHS Billions to Appease Trump
Daisy Cooper has claimed that Sir Keir Starmer diverted about £3 billion annually from NHS funding to appease former US President Donald Trump, reallocating money from frontline services to pharmaceutical companies.
The UK government agreed in December to pay 25% more for new medicines by 2035 to avoid US drug tariffs, increasing the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) assessment threshold for medicines from £20,000-£30,000 to £25,000-£35,000.
The government states that this higher threshold allows NICE to approve innovative medicines that were previously declined on cost-effectiveness grounds. The deal is projected to cost around £1 billion per year by 2029, with estimates from The Lancet suggesting a possible total cost of £3 billion; the exact figures depend on which drugs receive approval.
Cooper criticizes the deal for lacking public debate and parliamentary scrutiny, calling for the '£3bn Trump tax' to be scrapped and funds to be reinvested in social care.
Independent experts note that the extra funding may finance a small number of new drugs (perhaps 3–5) but will also raise prices for existing drugs, potentially diverting funds from frontline NHS services.
NHS leaders initially supported the deal but warned that the NHS remains underfunded and that budgets for care must not be compromised.
Whitehall sources indicate that the price increase will be funded from sums allocated to the NHS last year to cover early-year costs, not from core NHS service budgets.
Science Secretary Liz Kendall stated that the deal will enable and incentivize life sciences investment and innovation in the UK.
Cooper argues that the government should stand up to Trump, accuses it of spinning the facts, and notes that only one social care meeting has occurred since cross-party talks were promised a year ago.
Sky News has requested comment from the government.
