1. A man hard to pin down
Historically, Streeting was a student activist, initially impressed by Jeremy Corbyn, and critical of New Labour, including its stance on university tuition fees (a stance he later reversed) and the Iraq war. Yet he criticised Labour in opposition for refusing to accept a £30,000 donation from McDonald’s (Labour’s reason was because of the company’s poor record on workers’ rights and its hostile stance towards trades unions). He campaigned to remain in the EU, and later for a People’s Vote. A High Anglican, Streeting was head of education at Stonewall for 18 months. He has talked about ‘working with the best of British business to reform the worst of British capitalism’, taxing capital gains on the same basis as income and increasing corporation tax. Streeting is a Vice President of the Local Government Association and is in favour of providing local authorities with greater control over public policy. As a review of Streeting’s autobiography puts it:
He never pauses to explain why he was so strongly drawn towards politics. There are nods towards his desire, no doubt sincere, to expand opportunity for others like him, but no sense of politics as a clash of ideas, moral intuitions, ideologies, or even personalities. We read nothing about Streeting’s relationship to Labour’s cross-cutting currents and factional tensions. We don’t know what Blair meant to him—nor any of the other politicians who commanded the stage during Streeting’s formative years. We don’t know whether he changed his mind about New Labour or tussled with its contradictions.
What is known though is that Streeting admits to being tutored by Patricia Hewitt, Health Secretary between 2005 and 2007 and notorious for her ongoing role in dismantling the NHS.
2. Employment history
Streeting’s first jobs included one year working for Progress (a pressure group set up to promote Blairite/Brownite thinking and funded by David Sainsbury). He later worked as a consultant to PwC, apparently introduced by Patricia Hewitt as an expert on public sector reform despite a lack of relevant experience. He went on to become a Councillor for Redbridge Council and later its Deputy Leader and Cabinet member for health and wellbeing.
3. Parliamentary career
In 2015, Streeting was elected MP for Ilford North. When Starmer became leader of the Labour party, Streeting was appointed Shadow Secretary to the Treasury, then became Shadow Minister for Schools in 2020 and, in May 2021, Shadow Secretary of State for Child Poverty. In November, the same year he was promoted to Shadow Secretary of State for Health and Social Care. In 2023 Streeting was ranked sixth in New Statesman’s Left Power List, described as “one of the most prominent and confident members” of the Shadow Cabinet. He became Minister for Health and Social Care following the 2024 general election.
Positions held by Streeting include Vice-Chair of the All-Party Parliamentary Group (APPG) Against Antisemitism and co-chair of the APPG on British Jews. He is also a supporter of Labour Friends of Israel as well as supporter of Labour Friends of Palestine and the Middle East, calling for ‘targeted economic sanctions’ against Israeli settlements in the West Bank in response to the Israeli government ‘grossly infringing on the human rights of Palestinians’. Streeting was also involved in creating a UN working definition of Islamophobia. In 2019 he was reported in the media for using abusive language towards a non-Jewish antisemitism campaigner. His visit to Israel in May 2022 to meet with ‘Israeli health experts, health tech start-ups, politicians, academics and diplomats’ was paid for by Labour Friends of Israel who provided flights, accommodation and conference registration for two to the value of £4,700.
The 4th Industrial Revolution
Streeting sees innovation and technology as central to making the NHS ‘fit for the future’. In a speech at a conference hosted by the Tony Blair Institute for Global Change (July 2024), he argued that the single payer NHS model plus the sharpest minds in the Medtech and life sciences industries can make Britain ‘a power house for life sciences and medical technology’ that will deliver £billions of economic growth.
From 2018 until it disbanded in 2021, he was a member of the APPG for the 4th Industrial Revolution (4iR) becoming its Vice Chair. The APPG received benefits in kind (value £16,510) from the Big Innovation Centre (a pioneer in AI, blockchain etc) between July 2017 and July 2018. Other financial support to the APPG came from, among others, Deloitte (£7,500 + £10,000 + £10,000), Microsoft (£10,000 +10,000), Oracle (£10,000), and Elastacloud (£5,000). In 2019 Streeting was a member of the 4IR delegation to San Francisco, which included a visit to the World Economic Forum (WEF).
Klaus Schwab, founder of the WEF, is attributed with announcing the arrival of 4IR back in October 2016. Shortly after this announcement, Alan Mak MP led the first House of Commons debate on 4IR, and in 2017 founded and became Chair of the APPG for 4IR. According to Schwab, 4IR necessitates a shift towards what he calls ‘stakeholder capitalism’ in which companies still look for profits for shareholders but they also work in partnership with governments, ostensibly considering the needs of all their stakeholders, including customers, employees, partners and society as a whole. An alternative perspective is that stakeholder capitalism sees society as a business rather than a living community, and that democracy can be discarded in favour of corporate interests and global governance.
4.Who does Streeting listen to?
On the assumption that there is no such thing as a free lunch, we looked at the MPs’ Register of Interests and Streeting’s declarations of donations and gifts over the period 2022-24, driven by a curiosity to see whether, or how much, support he received from the private health care sector. We found that, besides donations linked to the private health sector, financial support also came from commerce (e.g. businesses that might look to supply the NHS with staff recruitment, estates management or maintenance services), as well as financiers and individuals we assume to be political lobbyists.
4.a) The private healthcare sector
During the period we covered, the only donor with obvious links to the private healthcare sector was John Armitage, who gave money to Streeting as a private individual. Armitage is the co-founder and director of Egerton Capital hedge fund. Among its almost £19 billion of investments, Armitage’s fund owns shares worth almost £834 million in UnitedHealth, the huge US private health corporation that has played a significant role in the ‘americanisation’ of the NHS, initially under New Labour and later under the Tories. During the period in question Armitage donated a total of £65,000 towards staffing costs for Streeting’s office, plus £15,000 for unspecified purposes.
4. b) Potential suppliers to the NHS
In February 2023, Streeting received £47,643 from MPM Connect towards office staffing costs. Previously known as SPV Offer Co, MPM Connect is a company controlled by multimillionaire Peter Hearn. It owns shares in recruitment companies, most notably Odgers Berndtson (founded by Hearn and owned by the OPD Group (see below). In September 2023, OPD Group Holdings took control of MPM Connect Ltd, holding 75% or more of its shares. Companies House records indicate that MPM Connect has assets of around £11 million. Peter Hearn is the only director, the company has no staff or website and its accounts do not reveal where its funding comes from or what it does. Apparently, Hearn’s recruitment companies work with senior NHS executives and “help private healthcare providers recruit healthcare professionals.” It’s been suggested that Hearn supports the Labour right because he believes it won’t increase taxes on the rich or limit outsourcing, which his company relies on.
The OPD Group, whose directors include Peter Hearn and Virginia Bottomley, provide executive recruitment services. The company’s total assets, less current liabilities, are registered as £30,975 million. During the period in question the company donated £60,000 towards Streeting’s office staffing costs.
Other companies providing financial support include
- Intelligent FS Ltd (activities:development of building projects, software development, and real estate management) donated £3,000 towards staffing costs for Streeting’s office in 2023.
- Huyton Asphalt Civils Ltd (they “scope, plan, design and build civil engineering and infrastructure works that maintain and enhance communities”) donated £4,000 towards the cost of food and beverages for a fund-raising event in 2023.
- CSC Computer Services – trading as DXC Technology Ltd (which is accredited on NHSE’s HSSF to provide digital and remote technology, support for implementing shared decision-making and self-care programmes, and organisational redesign, governance, payment and contract reform), donated two tickets and hospitality for a football match between Manchester United and Arsenal in 2024, value £1,000.
In addition, Kevin Craig, “a businessperson, philanthropist, political campaigner and investor in start-ups”, founded PLMR (a communications agency) and is a non-executive director for the tech company Eleco PLC. In April 2024 Craig, as a private donor, gave £39,000 to Streeting towards staff costs. He became Labour candidate for the 2024 election (Central Suffolk and North Ipswich) before being suspended for gambling on the result of the election. Labour is understood to be returning the £100,000 he donated to the party.
4.c) The financial sector
Donors included:
- David Menton, a Managing Partner at Synova (a private equity company, home to Patricia Hewitt) and lobbyist for Israel. In 2024 he donated £2,230 for unspecified purposes.
- Claire Menton (as far as we can ascertain, the Claire Menton who founded Brix Advisory concerned with property acquisition, private equity, business planning etc) donated £2,200 in 2024 for unspecified purposes.
4. c) Across sectors
The Grabiner family are directors or officers of a range of apparently family-owned companies across different sectors. Daniel, Stephen and Miriam Grabiner are all directors of Grabiner Property Ltd., with activities registered as “Other letting and operating of own or leased real estate” and fixed assets almost £7 million. In addition they are officers of Grabiner Management Co Ltd (temporary employment agency activities). They are also all directors of Grabiner Capital – a dormant company with assets of over £21 million. Together with other family members (Joseph, Joshua, Miriam, and Sarah Grabiner), they are all officers of Grabiner CBG LLP, which has total assets over £10 million. Stephen Grabiner additionally has links to Coniston Capital Management and Coniston Capital GP LLP (venture capital). On 8th February 2024, Daniel, Joseph, Miriam and Stephen Grabiner each donated £2,230 to Streeting for unspecified purposes.
4.d) Miscellaneous
- T J Morris Ltd is one of the largest privately owned companies in the UK, selling groceries, general merchandise and clothing. In September 2023 it donated £5,000 towards staffing costs for Streeting’s office.
- Beth Begg Design Ltd provides Interior design for private and high end clients. In 2023 it donated £2,000 towards staffing costs for Streeting’s office.
- C J Strategy appears to be a small business with activities described at Companies House as “Other business support service activities not elsewhere classified”. It has no website presence. One of its two directors is listed as Craig Leviton who was UK government advisor between 1993 and 1996, and now is Chair of the Holocaust Educational Trust. He has been Director of Oakhill Communications Ltd along with Lee Petar (see below) among others, and is currently partner at FGS Global (“leaders in all aspects of strategic communications, including corporate reputation, crisis management, government affairs, and transformation and change, as well as the leading force in financial communications worldwide.)” In 2023 FGS Global gave Streeting 2 tickets and meals to attend Glyndebourne – value £600). In 2024 CJ Strategy gave Streeting £2,100 for unspecified purposes.
4.e) Building political alliances
- While Shadow Minister for Health and Social Care, Streeting accepted £37,000 from Labour for the Long Term (LFLT) for ‘Provision of a Policy Advisor’ (2 days a week), covering the period August 2022–November 2023. LFLT’s funding comes from individual Labour supporters, but their website gives no indication of who these supporters are.
- Lee Petar was founder of Aperture Communications (now defunct); founding partner of now dissolved Tetra Strategy (management consultants); and founding director of Britain Israel Communications Centre. In 2004 Petar donated £2,229 for an unspecified purpose.
- Daniel Hughes (a former political advisor to the Labour Party), set up and remains Managing Director of ThisGeneration Communications, which in its own words generates “powerful reputations, generates influence and generates connections”. In 2023, Hughes donated £3,000 for food and beverages at a fundraising event, and £2,000 for unspecified purposes.
- UNISON donated £3,143 in November 2023 for the printing of leaflets.
- James Libson is Managing partner of Mishcon de Reya, which acted as litigator for the Jewish Labour Movement on antisemitism in the Labour Party. In 2024 he donated £2,225 to Streeting for unspecified purposes.
- In 2024, as a private donor, Louise Jacobsgave Streeting £2,200 for unspecified purposes. She appears to have been the Chair of United Jewish Israel Appeal until 2024 and is now Coaching at Pelham Street company (strap line “Supporting the leaders of today, developing the leaders of tomorrow”).
- Miles Webber(if we have the right person) has had a career including senior roles in Merrill Lynch, and Baytree Advisors. He has been executive director of Labour Friends of Israel, chair of the Leadership Development arm, of the Jewish Leadership Council, and a trustee of the New Israel Fund at United Jewish Israel Appeal and Institute of Jewish Policy Research. Webber donated £2,000 to Streeting for unspecified purposes in 2024.
- Trevor Chinn is a retired auto industry mogul, who in the past has funded Labour Friends of Israel and Conservative Friends of Israel. He plays a leading role in the Britain Israel Communications Centre (BICOM) and Jewish Leadership Council. Chinn gave Streeting £5,000 in 2024 for unspecified purposes. (In 2024 Chinn donated £50,000 to Starmer’s leadership bid, and £200,000 to the Labour shadow cabinet, as well as funding Owen Smith in his bid to replace Jeremy Corbyn).
- The Tony Blair Institutecovered Streeting’s costs for a return Eurostar ticket to Brussels, plus food and accommodation over two days in October 2023 to attend a short programme discussing a science and technology programme, value £1,436.
- In December 2023the Singapore Government provided an estimated £17,591 to cover the costs of flights, accommodation, transport, events, visits and meals during a four-day visit by Streeting and one member of staff to discuss the health system. (Singapore has a publicly funded healthcare system alongside a significant private sector. costs are covered by government subsidies, national healthcare insurance, compulsory savings and shared costs, with the aim of encouraging people to take responsibility for how they use services.)
Final comments
The details of Streeting’s registered interests provided above are not complete but they give an indication of who is supporting Streeting, and to what extent. It is also apparent that a number of those listed (such as John Armitage, MPM Connect and Trevor Chinn) have similarly provided funds or benefits prior to the period considered.
What is striking is that, in addition to the smaller donations made for unknown purposes, considerable money is given ostensibly to contribute to the costs of staffing Streeting’s office. Yet, according to the Independent Parliamentary Standards Authority (IPSA), MPs can claim a budget for such things as equipment and staffing costs (as long as members of staff are performing their parliamentary functions in line with the job descriptions published by IPSA). The staffing budget can be used, among other things, to meet the costs of staff salaries, and employers’ contributions to National Insurance and pensions, and costs associated with apprenticeships. It raises the question of why such a considerable amount of further funding is necessary.
ICS Work group, Keep Our NHS Public