Former Labour cabinet minister Alan Johnson has launched a scathing critique of the British Medical Association (BMA), accusing the doctors' union of hindering the progress of the National Health Service and drawing parallels with its historical opposition to the NHS's creation.
Institutional Resistance to Change
Johnson, who served as Health Secretary between 2007 and 2009, expressed solidarity with the current Health Secretary, Wes Streeting, who recently branded the BMA as "moaning minnies". Johnson revealed his own frustrations from his time in office, recalling a 2008 initiative to expand GP surgery hours to include Saturday openings.
He noted that while some progressive practices already offered Saturday morning appointments, a planned national expansion was met with a fierce campaign of opposition from the BMA. This, he argues, mirrors the current resistance to Streeting's push for online appointment booking—a move Johnson describes as hardly revolutionary in 2025.
Christmas Strikes and Public Backlash
Johnson's criticism comes as the BMA has announced a series of five-day strikes by resident doctors—formerly known as junior doctors—scheduled from the 17th to the 22nd of December. The former trade union leader argued that a cardinal rule of union leadership is to never lead members into a dispute they cannot win.
He pointed to opinion polls suggesting public opposition to the strikes. Johnson highlighted that the resident doctors received a significant pay increase last year and currently have an above-inflation offer on the table. He characterised the union's pursuit of a further 26% pay claim as "ludicrous", warning that conceding to it would jeopardise the ongoing recovery of the health service.
"Other health unions have accepted the recommendations of the independent pay review body," Johnson stated, adding that the government has also offered discussions on non-pay issues like working conditions and training expansion.
Scrapping the 'Abhorrent' Two-Child Limit
In the same commentary, Johnson strongly endorsed the government's decision to lift the two-child limit on benefit payments from next April. He labelled the policy, introduced under the Conservatives, as "always abhorrent", questioning what kind of politician advocates "picking on small kids" to repair economic damage.
He challenged the stereotype of affected families as "work-shy scroungers", noting that the majority have at least one parent in work. Johnson emphasised that circumstances change through relationship breakdowns, bereavement, or imprisonment, and argued that children should not be punished for these events.
He concluded that lifting the cap, as part of a wider child poverty strategy unveiled this week, will have a transformative effect on thousands of young lives.
Johnson also briefly touched on net migration, noting the latest figure of 204,000 represents a 75% fall from its peak two years ago and is now close to the level seen in the final year of the last Labour government.
