As if the Tories needed another thorn in their side…

Now, even long-time Conservative stalwart Sir Rod Stewart has abandoned ship, taking the unusual step of phoning in to a Sky News call-in show on the state of the NHS to let his feelings be known.

“I personally have been a Tory for a long time, but I think this government should stand down now and give the Labour Party a go at it,” the 78-year-old pop legend said.

“In all my years of living in this country I’ve never seen it so bad.”

After hearing earlier in the programme from patients waiting for months for critical care, he even offered to pay for up to 20 diagnostic scans. Hears to Sir Rod!

But critics were quick to point out that the singer – who has sold 250m records over a six-decade career – could have done more over the years to support his favourite health service.  

Stewart left the UK for LA in 1975 to avoid the 83 per cent tax on top earners – meaning he didn’t help swell the NHS coffers for nearly four decades.

As the Nadhim Zahawi/HMRC saga rumbles on, a tax-dodger ditching the Tories does feel like hypocrisy. 

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