streeting
Who is James Murray, the new health secretary replacing Wes Streeting?
Who is James Murray, the new health secretary replacing Wes Streeting? From a high-profile, media-friendly Secretary of State to a relatively unknown MP, the departure of Wes Streeting and arrival of James Murray has raised eyebrows in the health and political worlds. It is one of the biggest Cabinet jobs with the largest public service departmental budgets. There will be a steep learning curve with no time for preparation away from the front line. Murray says he's deeply honoured to be appointed to the brief and continue Wes Streeting's brilliant work on such a critical mission, but who is he, and what issues will he face in his in tray?
Chris Mason: Why a quick meeting is overshadowing the King's Speech
Chris Mason: Why a coffee is overshadowing the King's Speech It is quite something when two blokes having a cup of coffee can generate more headlines and conversation than the King coming to parliament for the main ceremonial event of the parliamentary calendar. Both these things are happening this morning. The prime minister has met the Health Secretary Wes Streeting in private - a meeting offered by Sir Keir Starmer to cabinet ministers after Tuesday's cabinet meeting and an offer Streeting took up. It was a very short meeting - under 20 minutes - and we may not know what happened in Number 10 immediately. And then, not long afterwards, the King will arrive in Westminster for the State Opening of Parliament, in which the sovereign reads out the government's planned new laws for the year and a bit ahead. This ceremonial occasion was scheduled for this week precisely because government figures anticipated a rough set of election results and a splash of political tumult afterwards.
NHS deal with AI firm Palantir called into question after officials' concerns revealed
The June 2025 briefing to Wes Streeting (2nd left) was released under the Freedom of Information Act. The June 2025 briefing to Wes Streeting (2nd left) was released under the Freedom of Information Act. NHS deal with AI firm Palantir called into question after officials' concerns revealed Health officials fear Palantir's reputation will hinder the delivery of a "vital" ยฃ330m NHS contract, according to briefings seen by the Guardian, sparking fresh calls for the deal to be scrapped. In 2023, ministers selected Palantir, a US surveillance technology company that also works for the Israeli military and Donald Trump's ICE operation, to build an AI-enabled data platform to connect disparate health information across the NHS . Now it has emerged that after Keir Starmer demanded faster deployment, Whitehall officials privately warned that the public perception of Palantir would limit its rollout, meaning the contract would not offer value for money.
AI tool that speeds up patient discharges trialled by NHS
An artificial intelligence tool designed to speed up the discharge of patients is being trialled at a hospital trust in London. The platform completes documents needed to send fit patients home, potentially saving hours of delays and freeing up beds. Wes Streeting, the health secretary, said the tech will enable doctors to spend less time on paperwork and more time focused on care, cutting waiting times in the process. The platform, which is being piloted at Chelsea and Westminster NHS trust, extracts information from medical records, including diagnoses and test results. This helps medics to draft discharge summaries, which have to be completed before a person is sent home from hospital.
X takes action on deepfake network smearing UK politicians after BBC investigation
While some of the fake clips and comments shared by this group of accounts on X were clearly absurd and satirical, others falsely portrayed candidates saying politically damaging things. In the comments, the network of X users works to make them appear believable. The videos have racked up tens of thousands of views. One post included a doctored video of Wes Streeting, the shadow health secretary, on the BBC's Politics Live show. As the presenter discusses politician Diane Abbott, the footage is made to sound as though Mr Streeting is saying "silly woman" under his breath - but he never said those words.
Network of X users smears politicians with deepfake clips
A network of accounts on X has been creating and sharing doctored clips of politicians during the election - and then posting misleading comments to bolster the impression they are real. The BBC's disinformation and social media correspondent has unpicked their tactics, tracking down the users behind the videos and people affected by them. Has their trolling gone too far? A video shows Labour shadow health secretary Wes Streeting on the BBC's Politics Live show. As the presenter discusses the prominent black Labour politician Diane Abbott, it sounds like Mr Streeting says "silly woman" under his breath - words that were never said in the broadcast.