When nurses hold their first national strike they will do so with a heavy heart.
They did not want to be placed in this position. Nor did they want to cause the disruption that industrial action will inevitably involve.
For months they called on the Government to heed their concerns about low pay and even lower morale. They repeatedly warned the Tories told nurses were leaving the profession because of the poor wages and those who remained are having to rely on food banks.
If the Conservatives valued the NHS they would give nurses they pay rise they not only deserve but urgently need.
By failing to do so they will only drive more workers away from the NHS, putting further pressure on services at a time when the waiting list in England is at record levels.
The blame for this strike lies with the Government. Ministers have failed the nursing profession and, by doing so, are failing patients.
Defend the press
A free press relies on reporters being able to report without fear or intimidation.
This fundamental right is being put at risk by the heavy-handed tactics of the police.
Three journalists covering the Just Stop Oil protests were detained by Hertfordshire Constabulary despite having accreditation.
This is not an isolated incident. Recently a reporter for My London, a title owned by the Mirror’s publisher Reach, was held in police custody for seven hours after being arrested covering an environmental demonstration.
When officers decide what journalists can and cannot cover we are standing on the cusp of authoritarianism. It is worrying that the Home Secretary Suella Braverman has yet to stand up for media freedom.
Goal-den time
The countdown to Qatar has begun as the first Welsh football World Cup squad since 1958 was announced yesterday.
England’s 26-man line-up will be revealed today. The teams will play each other in Qatar in what will surely be an epic encounter.
