Labour Party leader Keir Starmer leader has tested positive for Covid-19 for a second time, a spokesperson confirmed on Wednesday (January 5).
Starmer had been due to face prime minister Boris Johnson at a question and answer session in parliament later today. His deputy, Angela Rayner, will take his place, the spokesperson added.
Starmer had tested positive for Covid-19 last October and self-isolated four times after coming into contact with other positive cases on several occasions.
Change is sweeping through Westminster as the newly elected Labour government makes strategic cabinet appointments following their landslide victory in the
general election held on Thursday, July 4.
With Sir Keir Starmer stepping in as the new Prime Minister and Wes Streeting assuming the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care role, the announcement of
Karin Smyth and Stephen Kinnock as health ministers on Monday marked a pivotal moment in Labour's healthcare agenda.
Who is the new Minister of State for Health?
Karin Smyth, the Labour MP for Bristol South, has been appointed as Minister of State for Health.
Smyth has a robust background in healthcare, having served as a shadow spokesperson on health since December 2021.
Her previous roles include Shadow Minister for Northern Ireland and Shadow Deputy Leader of the House of Commons.
Before her parliamentary career, Smyth worked as an NHS Manager and held a non-executive director position at an NHS Trust.
In an announcement following Keir Starmer's and Wes Streeting's visit to a hospital in the East Midlands, Labour Party has unveiled a groundbreaking
partnership with Virgin Media O2 aimed at ensuring every child with type 1 diabetes can access the latest medical technology to better manage diabetes.
With the NHS providing patients with type 1 diabetes the option of an 'artificial pancreas' in the next five years to manage insulin levels and Continuous
Glucose Monitors launched nearly 2 years ago to monitor children's glucose levels, the initiative aims to address the financial barrier hindering hundreds of
families from benefiting from this breakthrough.
Labour's plan to provide every child in need a smartphone, facilitating access to modern glucose monitors, aligns with the centre-leftist party's broader vision
to harness technology for healthcare transformation.
Announcing the partnership in an interview with ITV News, Keir Starmer, Labour Party Leader, highlighted the lack of equitable access to medical advancement
amongst patients as "travesty" and "impact of fourteen years of Conservative chaos has had on the NHS", stating:
As the general election campaign continues, Labour is set to introduce a series of policies aimed at supporting small businesses.
On Saturday, Sir Keir Starmer, alongside shadow chancellor Rachel Reeves and other shadow cabinet ministers, is expected to unveil the party's plans for the sector.
Key proposals include an overhaul of the business rates system to enable high street shops to compete with online giants and ensure access to high street
banking services by accelerating the establishment of banking hubs.
Labour will also commit to addressing the issue of late payment of invoices by requiring large businesses to disclose their payment practices and "revitalise" high
streets by tackling antisocial behaviour.
Sir Keir described small businesses as "the beating heart of driving growth and creating jobs for local people."
