Starmer Says a Doctor Strike Would be 'Reckless'
Newscast
BBC
4.3 • 6.6K Ratings
🗓️ 13 December 2025
⏱️ 27 minutes
🧾️ Download transcript
Summary
Today, the Prime Minister Keir Starmer has written in the Guardian Newspaper urging members of the British Medical Association to rethink planned strikes. Possible strikes coincide with flu-related illnesses and hospitalisations at a higher rate than usual for this time of year, which have led to worries that a strike would lead to problems for the NHS. Also, Laura has spoken to the new chair of the Equality and Human Rights Commission, Dr Mary-Ann Stephenson. Since the Supreme Court ruling over the definition of a woman in April they have been working on new guidance on who can access single-sex spaces. So how might the guidance be implemented? You can now listen to Newscast on a smart speaker. If you want to listen, just say "Ask BBC Sounds to play Newscast”. It works on most smart speakers. You can join our Newscast online community here: https://bbc.in/newscastdiscord Get in touch with Newscast by emailing newscast@bbc.co.uk or send us a WhatsApp on +44 0330 123 9480. New episodes released every day. If you're in the UK, for more News and Current Affairs podcasts from the BBC, listen on BBC Sounds: https://bbc.in/4guXgXd Newscast brings you daily analysis of the latest political news stories from the BBC. The presenters were Laura Kuenssberg and Paddy O'Connell It was made by Chris Flynn with Rufus Gray. The social producer was Joe Wilkinson. The technical producer was Michael Regaard. The weekend series producer is Chris Flynn. The assistant editor is Chris Gray. The senior news editor is Sam Bonham.
Transcript
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| 0:00.0 | BBC Sounds, music, radio, podcasts. |
| 0:06.1 | It's the last weekend of this cast. |
| 0:10.6 | I think you should stop again. |
| 0:13.1 | It's the last weekend of our careers. |
| 0:19.2 | It's the last weekend of our careers. No, it's the last weekend newscast of the year. |
| 0:29.8 | And I look like I've been inflated with the bicycle pump. |
| 0:33.5 | And you've come dressed as Mrs. Claus. |
| 0:38.6 | Regular listeners might know that sometimes at the weekends, things go slightly awry. |
| 0:43.1 | And Paddy and I start laughing about it. |
| 0:44.5 | I'm not quite sure what. |
| 0:45.4 | But today it will all be very serious. |
| 0:47.2 | Apart from, I have come dressed as Mrs. Claus. |
| 0:50.1 | And there is tinsel around the newscast television, courtesy of producer Chris. |
| 0:54.3 | So we say welcome one and all to our festive edition of Saturday's newscast, the last Saturday |
| 0:59.1 | newscast of 2025, where we'll be talking about the not very festive clash between the government |
| 1:04.9 | and the BMA, the union of medical doctors, which at the moment represents resident doctors, |
| 1:10.8 | used to be called junior |
| 1:11.7 | doctors. And they are in a political standoff, not just with the health secretary, Wes Streeting, |
| 1:16.7 | but the Prime Minister, Sarkir Starmar, who's trying to persuade them not to go on strike |
| 1:22.6 | while flu is spreading at pace across the NHS. So we'll be talking about that this afternoon, |
| 1:29.5 | among other things. Newscast. Newscast from the BBC. Fat boy sliver me in the classroom |
| 1:34.5 | doing our violin lessons. I was the tattle tail in the class. Can I have an apology, please? I trust |
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