Henry Marsh, CBE

Britain’s top neurosurgeon pioneered the technique of operating on the brain under local anaesthetic, saving countless lives over 40 years. Though officially retired, he still teaches students at St George’s Hospital in London. But it’s his ideas on how to save the NHS that inspire me. Marsh says the Tories are “condemning it to death by 1,000 cuts” and believes a healthcare tax and a Royal Commission are needed to save it. He says: “As far as I can see there isn’t a Tory policy, other than burying their heads in the sand and hoping people go private. Politicians need to be honest and say ‘If you want a first-class health service you will have to pay more’.”