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I was proud to march alongside junior doctors last week who are dedicating their lives to the NHS.

Many of those highly skilled professionals (misnamed “junior”) were stressed about the decision that they had to take because of the imposition of a new contract by a government that is gradually privatising more and more of our health service.

They are dedicated to their profession, but they feel a deep sense of anguish about the future of our NHS.

Ninety years ago a dispute in the coal industry led to Britain’s first and only general strike, as miners asked other workers to join them in their dispute.

With the British economy in a state of depression, mineowners had slashed miners’ wages to maintain their profits. Trade unions stand up for public need, not private greed.

Read more:The General Strike 90 years on

The decision to take strike action is not one taken lightly, whether 90 years ago or now.

Junior doctors today deserve our support. It is they who will be saving our lives in the future, not a Conservative Health Secretary whose only contribution to healthcare has been to co-author a book on how to dismantle the NHS.

As I marched over Westminster Bridge with junior doctors, we were alongside teachers angry at forced academisation of schools, and care workers distraught that they no longer had the resources to provide care to the elderly and disabled.

I have travelled to every corner of the country during campaigning for this week’s local elections and there is an overwhelming feeling that people don’t trust this Government with our public services.

Polling day on Thursday is your opportunity to vote Labour to send a clear message to the Government that we will not stand by while they dismantle our public services.