Thérèse Coffey could be an inspired appointment as health secretary

The deputy prime minister surprised the Commons with her own story of waiting nine hours in A&E, writes John Rentoul

Armed with her own story, she was suddenly able to turn her statement to her advantage (PA)

Thérèse Coffey’s debut as health and social care secretary in parliament got off to a bad start. She is not a silver-tongued public speaker, stumbling over her words a few times, and repeating twice her leaden call for a “national endeavour” to help the NHS, as she delivered a statement with a curiously narrow focus on GP appointments.

Her sharp-tongued opponent, Wes Streeting, mocked her promise of “cloud-based telephony” as the solution to trying to be the first to get through to the surgery – the telephone, he asked, is that “cutting-edge modern technology?”

Streeting contrasted Coffey’s “expectation” that people should be able to see their GP within two weeks with the 48-hour target under the Labour government.