Blackpool South MP Scott Benton faces backlash over tweet ‘taunting’ ambulance workers who rushed to help child amid strikes

Ambulance workers in St Helens were among 25,000 staff across England and Wales who went on strike on Wednesday (January 11).

However, a number of staff were spotted breaking the picket line and jumping into an ambulance to help a child in need.

Posting about the incident on Twitter, ITV News wrote: “An ambulance has been captured rushing away from a Merseyside picket line to attend an urgent call for a young child.”

The following day, Tory MP Scott Benton responded, posting: “Or in other words, doing the job they’re paid to do.”

Mr Benton’s tweet quickly garnered attention, receiving over 500 comments by Friday afternoon (January 13).

“Taunting not praising an ambulance driver for leaving a legal picket line to take a call to attend to a child is contemptuous, an absolute disgrace, and the opposite of the diplomacy required to solve these pay disputes,” one person wrote.

Another added: “If they’ve declared they are on strike, they aren’t actually being paid to do this, they are doing it because they are professionals in the true sense of the word.

“And when they are being paid, they aren’t paid enough, and there are too few of them to do the job properly.”

One man wrote it was “comments like this” that made his daughter leave the paramedic service.

“Actually being on strike meant they weren’t being paid,” he added.

“How’s your inflated MP salary with all those lovely expenses and subsidies.

“Utterly contemptible.”

What did Mr Benton say following the tweet?

After being approached by the Blackpool Gazette, Mr Benton said: “Our ambulance workers do a brilliant job, day in, day out.

“The discussions on a pay settlement with the government are continuing and I hope that they are resolved swiftly.

“The safety of patients is absolutely paramount, and rightly so. This is why the government are seeking to legislate to ensure that there is always a minimum service for essential public services to protect the public, when strikes take place.

“Responding to an urgent 999 call when the crews are striking is, I would argue, a moral and ethical obligation on the crews. It is what you would expect.

“My tweet which you refer to, received more ‘likes’ – nearly 5,000 –than it did negative comments and points out what most people would think is fairly obvious.”

Sunak hopes to ‘find a way through’ strikes deadlock

Rishi Sunak has said he hopes to “find a way through” the deadlock with unions to avert further industrial action.

The Prime Minister also said the Government is prioritising “strong dialogue” with union leaders as they aim to resolve bitter disputes over pay, jobs and conditions.

During his trip to Scotland, Mr Sunak was asked about criticism that the Government is too slow in negotiating with unions when labour disputes are having a detrimental effect on the economy.

He told broadcasters: “Look, I think with strikes it’s important that we remain in strong dialogue with the unions, that’s why the Government invited all union leaders in to have those discussions.

“The discussions are ongoing and hopefully we can find a way through.”

The Prime Minister also touted the Government’s controversial legislation that would impose a legal duty of minimum service levels on strike days for workers in health, education, transport and several other sectors.

He said: “I also think that it’s really important that we protect ordinary working people’s access to life-saving healthcare, allow them to go about their lives free from that type of disruption, which is why we’re introducing new laws – minimum safety levels – which will ensure that, in areas like ambulances or fire, that when there are strikes, people can still rely on a basic level of emergency service.

“I think that’s a right, responsible and reasonable thing to do in common with many other countries and we’re going to bring forward those laws shortly.”

The Strikes (Minimum Service Levels) Bill is due to be considered again by MPs next Monday, January 16.