Vaccines save lives, it is as simple as that.

In recent weeks, we’ve seen a serious, fast-spreading measles outbreak in some parts of the country, with dozens of children infected and some needing hospital treatment. As a Dad, this is every parent’s nightmare.

As the UK Health Security Agency has warned, there’s a direct correlation between areas with low vaccination rates and the risk of measles outbreaks.

So, please ignore the anti-vaxxer cranks spouting nonsense on social media and trust our brilliant NHS doctors and nurses. Vaccines save lives, it is that simple.

But this isn’t just a job for parents. We politicians have a responsibility to follow the science and ensure that, unlike in America, public health doesn’t become another front in the culture wars.

I’m a strong believer in the adage that when someone shows you who they are – believe them. When Nigel Farage announced Reform’s “Shadow Cabinet” last week, he couldn’t even be bothered to appoint someone to cover health.

Maybe that’s because the anti-vaxxer he put centre-stage at Reform’s conference last year –the guy who peddled the outrageous conspiracy theory linking Covid vaccines to the King’s and the Princess of Wales’ cancers – is now advising Donald Trump’s health secretary, RFK Jr.

Or perhaps Farage knows that his often-expressed desire to privatise the NHS and replace it with an insurance system is deeply unpopular with voters of all parties, including Reform supporters.

I understand why Reform doesn’t want to talk about the NHS. With waiting lists down to their lowest level in three years, a new national cancer plan to diagnose people earlier and speed up treatment, and more than 2,000 new GPs hired already, our health service is in the recovery room after 14 years of Tory neglect.

Reform will put the NHS – and all our public services – right back in intensive care.

How can I be so sure? Because Farage is surrounding himself with the very Tories who left Labour such a mess to clear up.
More than two dozen former Conservative MPs have now joined Reform, including Nadhim Zahawi, Suella Braverman and Robert Jenrick – all senior ministers during Liz Truss’ disastrous 49 days in Downing Street.
Their priorities are just as wacky as those of the former Prime Minister.
In her first outing as education spokesperson, Braverman said her “day one” priority is to repeal the Equality Act.

There’s much about Britain’s past I am proud of.

But, unlike Reform, I’m not nostalgic for the days when women were discriminated against for being pregnant; disabled people were denied equal access to work; and gay couples feared being turned away from hotels.

Contrast that with Labour’s new Employment Rights Act, which I helped steer through parliament. It ends the practice of “fire and rehire”, scraps exploitative zero-hour contracts, and gives dads the right to paternity leave from day one in a new job.

Labour wants to rebuild our NHS and ensure a future fair for all.

As we’re increasingly seeing, Farage offers nothing but failed Tory policies with a lurid azure paint job.