LABOUR’S leadership suffered a major embarrassment today when leftwingers swept the board in elections to the party’s health affiliate on a platform of ending private-sector involvement in the NHS.

Despite right-wing efforts to take back control, campaigners backed by grassroots group Momentum eventually stood unopposed and won re-election to the posts of chairperson, secretary and treasurer of the Socialist Health Association (SHA).

The association, which serves as Labour’s main campaigning body on health, has been affiliated to the party for more than 90 years and retains nominating rights for MPs and the party leadership.

Senior figures close to Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer and shadow health secretary Wes Streeting – who have called for a “partnership” between the NHS and private health giants – were involved in the unsuccessful attempt to kick out the left, Momentum said.

The victory sets the stage for more clashes as Labour begins to compile its manifesto for the next general election, likely to take place in the spring or autumn of next year. 

In a joint statement, SHA chairman Mark Ladbroke, secretary Harry Stratton and treasurer Ester Giles said that the result “delivers an unambiguous message to the labour movement of support for the principle of a publicly provided and funded NHS.

“The SHA worked with a radical Labour government to build the NHS and it will take a strong socialist SHA leadership to help defend it — we have that team.”

Momentum vice-chairwoman Sasha Das Gupta hailed the outcome as a “total rejection of the party leadership’s NHS private-sector agenda.”

She said: “Labour members, trade unions and the public all agree — we need to end the scourge of NHS privatisation.”