Hain says Labour 'like reserves'

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Northern Ireland Secretary Peter Hain has criticised the government's handling of the NHS and claimed: "We've been playing like the reserves."

Mr Hain's comments came at a Labour leadership hustings meeting at Sheffield United's Bramall Lane ground.

He questioned "how on earth" the Conservatives led health opinion polls despite Labour trebling NHS funding.

Mr Hain is competing for the votes of party members with five rivals over Labour's deputy leadership.

Education Secretary Alan Johnson, Justice Minister Harriet Harman, Development Secretary Hilary Benn, Party Chairwoman Hazel Blears and backbencher Jon Cruddas are all vying with Mr Hain to succeed John Prescott.

He said: "A month from now Labour will have a new leader and frankly we all need to up our game.

"We've been playing like the reserves recently. In a host of areas we've allowed the Tories to make the running.

"There are two things we need to do. First, we need a moratorium on structural change and reorganisation in the NHS.

"The health service doesn't need to be in a state of permanent revolution in order to deliver."

'Fresh start'

Mr Hain added that it was time to "let the health service settle down and time to let NHS staff get on with the job".

He added: "We also need to set out a clear and unambiguous vision for the role and limits of private sector provision within the NHS.

"We need a fresh start."

Ordinary party members have a third of the vote in June's election.

Another third go to around three million members of unions and other affiliated bodies and the rest are controlled by the party's MPs and MEPs.

The winner will be announced at a special Labour conference in Manchester on Sunday 24 June.

All six deputy leadership candidates will take part in a live television debate on Tuesday 29 May, chaired by BBC2 Newsnight's Jeremy Paxman.