12 Feb 2026
This open letter was sent to Wes Streeting's office on Thursday 12th February, following his release of his messages with Peter Mandelson. It is signed by eight organisations (listed below) that campaign against privatisation of NHS services and for proper investment into the health service.
You can make sure that this letter reaches him by sending it to him via email at dhsc.publicenquiries@dhsc.gov.uk and wes.streeting.mp@parliament.uk. Or you can share it on Twitter or Instagram - tag him in your share text using @wesstreeting.
Dear Rt Hon. Wes Streeting MP,
Thank you for publishing your WhatsApp messages with Lord Mandelson in order to be transparent about the nature of your relationship. This step was particularly important because his lobbying firm, Global Counsel, has worked for Palantir and other firms that have a direct interest in government policy, including policy affecting the health service, which he was likely influencing.
We the undersigned are writing to ask you to extend this important step toward transparency to persons who have donated to you and with whom you have discussed health policy, DHSC announcements and NHS contracts.
With 60% of your donations coming either from the private healthcare sector, or from individuals with a financial interest in the private healthcare sector, you can demonstrate that your NHS reforms are driven by principle, rather than unaccountable lobbying.
In April 2025, the Good Law Project revealed that you received donations from private health companies or individuals with interests in private healthcare at a rate of £10,000 per month. Up to 60% of your donations since 2015, totalling £372,000, came from these sources.
We are therefore asking you to release your messages with the following persons:
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Peter Hearn, whose healthcare workers’ recruitment firms MPM Connect and OPD Group have given you a total of £197,900. He has also given you £40,000 in his personal capacity;
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John Armitage, a hedge fund manager with investments of half a billion dollars in United Health, the US’s largest health insurance company, has given you £95,000;
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Sir Trevor Chinn, a senior advisor to a firm holding investments in several private health companies, gave you £18,500;
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Kevin Craig, founder and CEO of PLMR a political consultancy that advises a firm that provides temporary staff to the NHS, has given you £13,000, and
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Red Capital Ltd, controlled by a sitting director of Europa Healthcare Group, Lord Jonathan Mendelsohn, has given you £5,000.
Releasing to the public your messages with these donors (relating to health policy, DHSC announcements and NHS contracts) would help assure the public that your policy of increasing the use of the private sector for the provision of NHS services, is not driven by a quid pro quo relationship.
We would be also grateful for an opportunity to meet with you to discuss this matter further.
We look forward to hearing back from you soon.
Kind regards
Cat Hobbs - director, We Own It
Linda Burnip - Disabled People Against Cuts
John Puntis - co-chair, Keep Our NHS Public
Mark Ladbrooke - chair, Socialist Health Association
Jan Shortt - General Secretary, National Pensioners Convention
Dr Ellen Welch - co-chair, Doctors Association UK
Dr Julia Grace Patterson - director, Every Doctor
Diarmaid McDonald - director, Just Treatment
Comments
Ian Berry 2 months ago
Our NHS must remain in the hands of the public and stay true to the aims of Nye Bevan
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Douglas Wilson 2 months ago
I had already come to the conclusion that Wes Streeting was a serious threat to the NHS, for all the reasons in your article. Thank you for this platform to voice my concern.
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Martin John Robinson 2 months ago
The system operates as intended, created by the super wealthy and the super rich to serve their interests.
The super-wealthy use their resources to shape public discourse, influence perceptions, and tilt the scales in their favour. They control the media through ownership, lobbying, and funding think tanks to sway both the public and politicians. This control enables them to shape policy, rules, and taxes, allowing them to pay little or nothing. Politicians often receive cash for access from multi-millionaires, billionaires, and large corporations, such as rewards for donations, gifts, political party dinners, campaign contributions, or lucrative jobs for the super wealthy, or even lobbying for the ultra-rich and large corporations, after public service, providing ongoing influence over government decisions. All to have the ear of the party or politician in selling access to sway influence in their (multi-millionaires, billionaires, and large corporations) favor.
Billionaires, multi-millionaires, and large corporations own media outlets by having their hands on roundabout making them spin in TV, print, radio, and now social media, to protect and expand their wealth. By controlling media, they shape the narrative and public discourse, influencing what people think, do, and believe, and ultimately, consolidating power.
With economic power, the super-rich fund politicians and political parties, shaping policies and tax systems that benefit themselves, often paying less tax or avoiding it. They then use untaxed funds to purchase assets—stocks, commodities, and real estate—and sometimes companies they already own, concentrating wealth. Ordinary people are left with less, or even nothing, as the super-rich extract wealth rather than create it.
It’s time for us to unite and demand action: join together to pressure politicians to close loopholes and reform tax policy so the rich and super-wealthy can no longer hide their assets or avoid paying their fair share. Push for a fair taxation system—where ordinary people pay less and the rich pay more. To organise, raise our voices, and demand that countries tax the rich so that society’s assets remain accessible and ordinary people can finally afford essentials like housing.
Today, our system of government benefits the few—multi-millionaires, billionaires, and large corporations—not the many, which means ordinary people. In contrast, our taxation system punishes the many and benefits the few. Ordinary people have one defence—and offence—against the super-wealthy: tax them. Tax wealth, not work.
“When the rich rob the poor, it’s called business; when the poor fight back, it’s called violence” - Mark Twain.
“It’s a big club and you ain’t in it, you and I are not in the big club”, George Carlin.
"The rule of law is for thee and not for me", Frank Wilhoit.
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J. Fletcher 2 months ago
Please release your messages with Peter Hearn,
John Armitage, Sir Trevor Chinn, Kevin Craig, and
Red Capital Ltd.
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Patrick Gard 2 months ago
YOU HAVE ALREADY LOST MY VOTE
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Mike Thomas 2 months ago
At least try to be a decent human being Mr Streeting,, even if it is beyond you to do so,
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Martin Brown 2 months ago
Dear Mr Streeting
You used to stand alongside your friend Peter Mandelson, now you are saying you want transparency. I will believe this when MP's share their Social media, and their personal bank details, so that we can spy on MP's, Like Labour wish to do with us, the people your party has, illegally, tried to deny our right to vote, in local Elections. So forgive me for not believing you, or any Labour MP.
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Paul Rapetti 2 months ago
It won't matter what I write here as you are bought by the private sector and have not followed through on your promise to keep the NHS in public hands. Shame on you.
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Marian Carty 2 months ago
It is a disgrace that MPs accept donations from private health companies whose priority is making profits not the health of the people of this country. Private health ‘care’ is inimical to creating the conditions in society to ensure that our population receive the best health care. Let’s make sure that electors are made aware of the corruption that is rife within this and previous governments.
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Marian Carty 2 months ago
See previous comment
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Mike Hart 2 months ago
This is just more of the covert privatisation of the NHS
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Ms Karen Roach 2 months ago
Political lobbying by private companies and individuals should be made illegal.
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Susanna Saunders 2 months ago
We need to get private donations, especially foreign private donations out of our political system! End the Corruption in our politics!
Got nothing to hide Wes? Then show us your correspondence... I bet it's not a 'clean' as you would like us to believe.
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