James O’Brien had the best summary of Nadhim Zahawi’s desperate argument against the nurses’ strike

Nurses have reached crisis point.

Retention and replacement of staff is at an all-time low, leaving those still in post to struggle with understaffing, while real-terms pay cuts have left some nurses needing to resort to food banks.

1 in 4 NHS hospitals have set up food banks for nurses. 200,000 nurses have left since 2010. An exodus is happening in front of our eyes.

A purpose built Tory destruction of the NHS.

Nurses are fighting to protect the NHS. Support them please

— Howard Beckett (@BeckettUnite) November 29, 2022

After 106 years, Royal College of Nursing members have voted to strike, with industrial action set to begin on 15th December.

People say nurses shouldn't strike. The point is that nurses shouldn't be forced to strike.

— David__Osland (@David__Osland) December 4, 2022

Nadhim Zahawi, the Secretary of State for Education, shared his bizarre take on the upcoming strike.

Nadhim Zahawi tells nurses to "send a very clear message to Mr Putin" by accepting another real-terms pay cut. pic.twitter.com/qQ8NmJTFUf

— Adam Bienkov (@AdamBienkov) December 4, 2022

“This is not a time to be divided. We have to, I hope, send a very clear message to Mr. Putin that he can’t use energy as a weapon in this way.”

Such a low blow, from a man who claimed heating expenses for his stables, was never going to be well received.

Whereas heating your private stables with public money will definitely induce a retreat from Crimea. https://t.co/sm9CfrR8rD

— Stephen McGann (@StephenMcGann) December 4, 2022

As Nadhim Zahawi said, striking nurses are playing into Putin's hands. They should send a message to Putin by taking a pay cut, switching their heating off and using food banks.

— Parody Rishi Sunak (@Parody_PM) December 4, 2022

Breaking: Putin agrees to withdraw from Ukraine if UK nurses agree to take a 4% pay rise. #bbclaurak pic.twitter.com/9wR5En0818

— Gerry McK (@GMcK2012) December 4, 2022

On Tuesday, James O’Brien shone a light on Zahawi’s claim – describing it in the starkest terms – and quoted a caller who had taken a long swig of the government Kool-Aid.

'He's a man who put the heating bill for his stables on expenses.'

James O'Brien slams Nadhim Zahawi's 'intellectual and moral bankruptcy' for arguing nurses shouldn't go on strike because it's what Vladimir Putin would want.@mrjamesob pic.twitter.com/ItGYymHyg4

— LBC (@LBC) December 6, 2022

Nadhim Zahawi is a man who put the bill for heating his stables on expenses. He’s telling nurses not to go on strike in pursuit of a better wage, because it’s what Vladimir Putin would have wanted.

If that’s not an example of utter desperation, intellectual and moral bankruptcy, I don’t know – frankly – what is.

James’ viewpoint went down a lot better than the minister’s had.

He could show his generosity by allowing the poor to warm themselves on the steam rising from the piles of horse-shit that he produces, or he could let them into his heated stables. https://t.co/829nLkZCVA

— Jimbre66 (@Jimbre66) December 6, 2022

I mean, @nadhimzahawi has a point. After all the nurses accepted over £2 million in donations from Russian oligarchs and put the son of a KGB agent in the House of Lords.

Oh wait. my mistake. That wasn't the nurses. It was the @Conservatives.

— greywulf (@greywulf) December 6, 2022

pic.twitter.com/NtkyaOlC9f

— Jase (@jasonhebron) December 6, 2022

A nurses' strike will slightly reduce energy consumption, cutting Putin's revenue, whereas the inflationary effects won't turn up for nearly a year: how is any of this helping Tsar Vlad?

— Charles LG Conlon (@ConlonCharles) December 6, 2022