Trevor Phillips Suggests Labour’s Manifesto Included ‘Terms And Conditions’

Posted on 20/10/2024 by Boris Clair

Sky News’ Trevor Phillips called out the government on Sunday morning by saying Labour’s manifesto had “terms and conditions” attached.

With less than two weeks to go until chancellor Rachel Reeves unveils her first Budget, the public are nervously waiting to see how she tries to raise £40bn in spending cuts and tax rises while also trying to avoid austerity measures.

Labour also promised before the election not to increase taxes for “working people”, particularly when it comes to VAT, income tax and National Insurance contributions.

In a clash with health secretary Wes Streeting, presenter Phillips asked how the “working people” label applies to the self-employed.

“Of course self-employed people are working people,” the cabinet minister replied, adding that when he thinks about the term, he means those who are on “low to middle incomes”.

Phillips asked: “Why is it then that in the legislation you’re going to introduce tomorrow on workers’ rights, you don’t redefine to include the self-employed?”

Streeting said that they have a “different working arrangement”.

The presenter asked: “So just in the same way you told us there would be no rise in National Insurance, but suddenly there’s rises in National Insurance for employers, it’s just possible there might be rises in taxes for the self-employed, because they’re not workers?”

The minister replied: “We will keep our manifesto promises, despite the pressures, we will not increase income tax, National Insurance or VAT on working people – that was the commitment we made before the general election.”

Phillips cut in: “Every expert says you’re breaking the pledge.”

Paul Johnson of the think tank Institute for Fiscal Studies (IFS) already said last week that putting up NI in any way would be a manifesto breach.

The health secretary claimed Labour had been criticised for not being radical enough in their manifesto in the run up to the general election, and that’s because they knew it had to be feasible to deliver on it.

As they spoke over each other, the presenter hit out: “You know what I want to do now? I want to say, I take that answer but terms and conditions apply.”

“What do you mean? Absolutely not,” Streeting said, saying Labour are going to deliver on every pledge they made in their manifesto.

Wes Streeting Claims NHS Will Effectively ‘Go Bust’ If Labour Does Not Act

Posted on 08/09/2024 by Boris Clair

The health secretary Wes Streeting has claimed the NHS will effectively “go bust” unless the government takes action, and soon.

The cabinet minister’s remarks come ahead of a landmark report into the health service from Lord Darzi, a leading surgeon, commissioned by the government in July.

Darzi’s report is expected to say the NHS reduced its “routine healthcare activity by a far greater percentage than other health systems” in many key areas during the Covid pandemic – and that the service is still suffering as a result.

The crossbench peer, who was a minister in the last Labour government but who has since left the party, has also warned the NHS was “seriously weakened” by disastrous government policies over the last decade.

Speaking to LBC’s Sunday with Lewis Goodall, Streeting said: “If we do not act now to make the right long-term decisions, we will end up with the NHS effectively going bust.”

He added that Darzi’s report will show the NHS was “so badly prepared and resourced before the pandemic, we ended up cancelling more operations and appointments and procedures than any other major country”.

While he suggested that investment and reform were needed to “deliver results” within the health service, Streeting added that the NHS was “broken by the botched reforms of the previous government”.

PM Keir Starmer also told the BBC in his first major interview since getting into No.10 that the NHS had been “broken” by past governments.

“Everybody watching this who has used the NHS, or whose relatives have, knows that it’s broken. That is unforgivable, the state of our NHS,” he said.

Starmer added: “Our job now, through Lord Darzi, is properly to understand how that came about and bring about the reforms, starting with the first steps, the 40,000 extra appointments.”

<div class="js-react-hydrator" data-component-name="Twitter" data-component-id="1089" data-component-props="{"itemType":"rich","index":13,"contentIndexByType":1,"contentListType":"embed","code":"

“[It is] unforgivable, the state of our NHS”

In his first major interview in Number 10 Prime Minister Keir Starmer tells the BBC’s Laura Kuenssberg that the Conservatives “broke\" the NHS ahead of a government review of the servicehttps://t.co/cLzMdI7zUv pic.twitter.com/L7JzRIQgD4

— BBC Politics (@BBCPolitics) September 7, 2024

","type":"rich","meta":{"author":"BBC Politics","author_url":"https://twitter.com/BBCPolitics","cache_age":86400,"description":"“[It is] unforgivable, the state of our NHS”In his first major interview in Number 10 Prime Minister Keir Starmer tells the BBC’s Laura Kuenssberg that the Conservatives “broke\" the NHS ahead of a government review of the servicehttps://t.co/cLzMdI7zUv pic.twitter.com/L7JzRIQgD4— BBC Politics (@BBCPolitics) September 7, 2024\n\n\n","options":{"_hide_media":{"label":"Hide photos, videos, and cards","value":false},"_maxwidth":{"label":"Adjust width","placeholder":"220-550, in px","value":""},"_theme":{"value":"","values":{"dark":"Use dark theme"}}},"provider_name":"Twitter","title":"BBC Politics on Twitter / X","type":"rich","url":"https://twitter.com/BBCPolitics/status/1832466217627513138","version":"1.0"},"flags":[],"enhancements":{},"fullBleed":false,"options":{"theme":"news","device":"desktop","editionInfo":{"id":"uk","name":"U.K.","link":"https://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk","locale":"en_GB"},"originalEdition":"uk","isMapi":false,"isAmp":false,"isVideoEntry":false,"isEntry":true,"isMt":false,"entryId":"66dd9f9fe4b05e7aac7bf96b","entryPermalink":"https://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/entry/minister-claims-nhs-will-go-bust-if-labour-does-not-act_uk_66dd9f9fe4b05e7aac7bf96b","entryTagsList":"labour-party,keir-starmer,nhs,bbc,wes-streeting","sectionSlug":"politics","deptSlug":null,"sectionRedirectUrl":null,"subcategories":"","isWide":false,"headerOverride":null,"noVideoAds":false,"disableFloat":false,"isNative":false,"commercialVideo":{"provider":"custom","site_and_category":"uk.politics","package":null},"isHighline":false,"vidibleConfigValues":{"cid":"60afc140cf94592c45d7390c","disabledWithMapiEntries":false,"overrides":{"all":"60b8e525cdd90620331baaf4"},"whitelisted":["56c5f12ee4b03a39c93c9439","56c6056ee4b01f2b7e1b5f35","59bfee7f9e451049f87f550b","5acccbaac269d609ef44c529","570278d2e4b070ff77b98217","57027b4be4b070ff77b98d5c","56fe95c4e4b0041c4242016b","570279cfe4b06d08e3629954","5ba9e8821c2e65639162ccf1","5bcd9904821576674bc55ced","5d076ca127f25f504327c72e","5b35266b158f855373e28256","5ebac2e8abddfb04f877dff2","60b8e525cdd90620331baaf4","60b64354b171b7444beaff4d","60d0d8e09340d7032ad0fb1a","60d0d90f9340d7032ad0fbeb","60d0d9949340d7032ad0fed3","60d0d9f99340d7032ad10113","60d0daa69340d7032ad104cf","60d0de02b627221e9d819408"],"playlists":{"default":"57bc306888d2ff1a7f6b5579","news":"56c6dbcee4b04edee8beb49c","politics":"56c6dbcee4b04edee8beb49c","entertainment":"56c6e7f2e4b0983aa64c60fc","tech":"56c6f70ae4b043c5bdcaebf9","parents":"56cc65c2e4b0239099455b42","lifestyle":"56cc66a9e4b01f81ef94e98c"},"playerUpdates":{"56c6056ee4b01f2b7e1b5f35":"60b8e525cdd90620331baaf4","56c5f12ee4b03a39c93c9439":"60d0d8e09340d7032ad0fb1a","59bfee7f9e451049f87f550b":"60d0d90f9340d7032ad0fbeb","5acccbaac269d609ef44c529":"60d0d9949340d7032ad0fed3","5bcd9904821576674bc55ced":"60d0d9f99340d7032ad10113","5d076ca127f25f504327c72e":"60d0daa69340d7032ad104cf","5ebac2e8abddfb04f877dff2":"60d0de02b627221e9d819408"}},"connatixConfigValues":{"defaultPlayer":"8b034f64-513c-4987-b16f-42d6008f7feb","clickToPlayPlayer":"5a777b9b-81fe-41a6-8302-59e9953ee8a2","videoPagePlayer":"19654b65-409c-4b38-90db-80cbdea02cf4"},"topConnatixThumnbailSrc":"data:image/png;base64,iVBORw0KGgoAAAANSUhEUgAAAAEAAAABCAQAAAC1HAwCAAAAC0lEQVR42mNkYAAAAAYAAjCB0C8AAAAASUVORK5CYII=","customAmpComponents":[],"ampAssetsUrl":"https://amp.assets.huffpost.com","videoTraits":null,"positionInUnitCounts":{"buzz_head":{"count":0},"buzz_body":{"count":0},"buzz_bottom":{"count":0}},"positionInSubUnitCounts":{"article_body":{"count":4},"blog_summary":{"count":0},"before_you_go_content":{"count":0}},"connatixCountsHelper":{"count":0},"buzzfeedTracking":{"context_page_id":"66dd9f9fe4b05e7aac7bf96b","context_page_type":"buzz","destination":"huffpost","mode":"desktop","page_edition":"en-uk"},"tags":[{"name":"labour party","slug":"labour-party","links":{"relativeLink":"news/labour-party","permalink":"https://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/news/labour-party","mobileWebLink":"https://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/news/labour-party"},"relegenceId":4172183,"section":{"title":"Politics","slug":"politics"},"topic":{"title":"Labour Party","slug":"labour-party","overridesSectionLabel":false},"url":"https://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/news/labour-party/"},{"name":"keir starmer","slug":"keir-starmer","links":{"relativeLink":"news/keir-starmer","permalink":"https://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/news/keir-starmer","mobileWebLink":"https://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/news/keir-starmer"},"relegenceId":4156282,"url":"https://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/news/keir-starmer/"},{"name":"NHS","slug":"nhs","links":{"relativeLink":"news/nhs","permalink":"https://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/news/nhs","mobileWebLink":"https://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/news/nhs"},"url":"https://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/news/nhs/"},{"name":"bbc","slug":"bbc","links":{"relativeLink":"news/bbc","permalink":"https://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/news/bbc","mobileWebLink":"https://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/news/bbc"},"relegenceId":4179017,"section":{"title":"News","slug":"news"},"topic":{"title":"BBC","slug":"bbc","overridesSectionLabel":false},"url":"https://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/news/bbc/"},{"name":"wes streeting","slug":"wes-streeting","links":{"relativeLink":"news/wes-streeting","permalink":"https://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/news/wes-streeting","mobileWebLink":"https://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/news/wes-streeting"},"relegenceId":4146508,"url":"https://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/news/wes-streeting/"}],"isLiveblogLive":null,"cetUnit":"buzz_body","bodyAds":["

\r\n\r\n HPGam.cmd.push(function(){\r\n\t\treturn HPGam.render(\"inline-1\", \"entry_paragraph_1\", false, false);\r\n });\r\n\r\n","

\r\n\r\n HPGam.cmd.push(function(){\r\n\t\treturn HPGam.render(\"inline\", \"entry_paragraph_2\", false, false);\r\n });\r\n\r\n","

\r\n\r\n HPGam.cmd.push(function(){\r\n\t\treturn HPGam.render(\"inline-2\", \"entry_paragraph_3\", false, false);\r\n });\r\n\r\n","

\r\n\r\n HPGam.cmd.push(function(){\r\n\t\treturn HPGam.render(\"inline-infinite\", \"repeating_dynamic_display\", false, false);\r\n });\r\n\r\n"],"adCount":0},"isCollectionEmbed":false}”>

“[It is] unforgivable, the state of our NHS”

In his first major interview in Number 10 Prime Minister Keir Starmer tells the BBC’s Laura Kuenssberg that the Conservatives “broke” the NHS ahead of a government review of the servicehttps://t.co/cLzMdI7zUv pic.twitter.com/L7JzRIQgD4

— BBC Politics (@BBCPolitics) September 7, 2024

Meanwhile, shadow health secretary Victoria Atkins has denied the Tories had broken the service, instead pointing to Darzi’s findings that more than 100,000 infants were left waiting for more than six hours in A&E departments in 2023.

She told broadcasters: “Labour’s instinct is to politicise children’s health rather than provide solutions and reform our NHS.”

A Tory Party spokesman also defended their record in government, telling the Guardian: “The NHS has more doctors, more nurses, more funding in real terms and is looking after more people than ever before.”

They added that the NHS looked after millions during the pandemic, and rolled out vaccines “faster than anyone else in the world” – and set up the Public Inquiry.

They added: “It is odd that this former Labour minister and peer feels he is in a better position to opine on Covid than the Public Inquiry.”

The health spokesperson for the Liberal Democrats, Daisy Cooper, said that “years and years of Conservative failure have brought the NHS to its knees” and called for “an emergency health budget from this new government.”

Jess Phillips Says She Was Given Quicker NHS Treatment Because She Backed Gaza Ceasefire

Posted on 30/08/2024 by Boris Clair

A government minister has claimed she got faster NHS treatment because she backed a ceasefire in Gaza.

According to the Daily Mail, Jess Phillips said she had gone to A&E at a hospital in her home city of Birmingham after suffering breathing difficulties.

Speaking at an ‘An Evening With Jess Phillips’ event at the Kiln Theatre in London, the Home Office minister said she had faced a lengthy wait due to overcrowding.

“I have genuinely seen better facilities, health facilities, in war zones, in developing countries around the world,” the MP told the audience.

She eventually made it to the front of the queue, but said that was “undoubtedly” thanks to her outspoken stance on the conflict between Israel and Hamas.

Phillips was one of eight Labour MPs who left the party’s frontbench last year after voting for a ceasefire.

The Birmingham Yardley MP said: “I got through because of who I am. Also the doctore who saw me was Palestinian, as it turns out. Almost all the doctors in Birmingham seemed to be.”

She added: “He was sort of like, ‘I like you. You voted for a ceasefire’. [Because of that] I got through quicker.”

HuffPost UK has contacted Phillips for a comment.

Earlier this month, the MP admitted she had made a “mistake” over a post she put on X during the recent riots.

Responding to footage showing a Sky News reporter being confronted by masked men in Birmingham, Phillips said it was caused by “misinformation” being spread in the area.

“These people came to this location because it has been spread that racists were coming to attack them,” she posted.

Following criticism of her remarks, Phillips said: “I think I almost certainly could have phrased it better.

“Anybody, regardless of who they are, whichever flag they wish to wave, anyone being a thug on our streets should not be tolerated.

“Of course I would choose my words more carefully. I’m more than happy to say that when I make a mistake, absolutely.”

NHS 111 Is Now Providing A New Mental Health Service, Here’s Everything You Need To Know

Posted on 27/08/2024 by Boris Clair

People facing a mental health crisis in England can now access support through NHS 111.

The service, which is available now, offers another vital lifeline to those experiencing mental health difficulties. A similar service is available in Scotland and Wales.

According to the BBC: “The number connects to a local team of call handlers with mental health training, alongside nurses and clinicians who are available around the clock.

“The team can organise a mental health assessment, send out a crisis team and flag up help available in the local area. A talking-therapy service is also available – people can refer themselves to it online via nhs.uk”

How to access the NHS mental health helpline

The mental health charity Mind estimates that around two million people on waiting lists for NHS mental health care and the latest NHS figures show that mental health services have treated an extra one million people a year compared with six years ago.

The new integrated service can give patients of all ages, including children, the chance to be listened to by a trained member of staff who can help direct them to the right place, says NHS director for mental health Claire Murdoch.

“So, if you or someone you know needs urgent mental health support, please call 111, and select the mental health option.”

The mental health option is option 2, so those looking for support can simply call 111 and choose option 2 to be directed to the support that they need.

Rethink Mental Illness chief executive Mark Winstanley said: “A mental health crisis is traumatic and disorientating, and getting help as quickly as possible is vital. The last thing people need when they or a loved-one is in crisis, is uncertainty about where to turn.

“The NHS have made it easier to access urgent support via 111, building on provision already in place through crisis lines. We welcome this important step.”

Help and support:

Mind, open Monday to Friday, 9am-6pm on 0300 123 3393.
Samaritans offers a listening service which is open 24 hours a day, on 116 123 (UK and ROI – this number is FREE to call and will not appear on your phone bill).
CALM (the Campaign Against Living Miserably) offer a helpline open 5pm-midnight, 365 days a year, on 0800 58 58 58, and a webchat service.
The Mix is a free support service for people under 25. Call 0808 808 4994 or email help@themix.org.uk
Rethink Mental Illness offers practical help through its advice line which can be reached on 0808 801 0525 (Monday to Friday 10am-4pm). More info can be found on rethink.org.

‘Are You Proud?’ Laura Kuenssberg Skewers Minister With Brutal Reminder Of Tory NHS Legacy

Posted on 02/06/2024 by Boris Clair

Laura Kuenssberg slammed the Conservatives’ handling of the NHS this morning and asked the health secretary Victoria Atkins if she is “proud” of the huge waiting lists in England.

Rishi Sunak vowed at the start of 2023 to cut NHS waiting lists – but he admitted only in February that his government has failed with that pledge.

On Sunday with Laura Kuenssberg, the BBC host presented Atkins with a graph showing just how much waiting times have actually increased since the Conservatives took over in 2010.

It shows that even before Covid and before the NHS strikes, the waiting lists for hospital treatment in England were already rising.

Kuenssberg's chart showing how waiting times for hospital treatment in England have increased — Kuenssberg’s chart showing how waiting times for hospital treatment in England have increased

Kuenssberg said: “As our viewers can see, since the Conservatives have been in charge, waiting lists have gone up and up and up.

“Are you proud of that?

“Because to many of our viewers, everybody knows in their real life somebody who is waiting, somebody who is in pain.”

The health secretary replied by saying how Covid made waiting times worse, but Kuenssberg hit back: “This was happening before the pandemic!”

The BBC journalist added: “The point is people do not feel reassured by statistics.

“They feel upset that they are waiting longer.

“They feel upset that over a year of many years, many believe the level of healthcare that they can expect to get has declined despite record amounts of cash going in.”

Atkins just said waiting lists have fallen since she got the job in November.

Kuenssberg also pressed the health secretary over GP services and pharmacies.

She said: “Today you’re announcing 100 new GP surgeries.

“But we’ve checked the figures and you’ve shut 450 since 2013, so aren’t you trying to fix your own mistakes?”

Atkins said that government is funding new GP surgeries, refurbishing 150 others and expanding pharmacy services to free up doctor appointments.

But Kuenssberg noted that funding for pharmacies is down a third on 2015 and more than 1,000 of them have shut.

She continued: “In both of these cases, it might be all very well that you’re promising this now but I think it’s going to sound to a lot of people like you’re just trying to unpick the mistakes the Tories have already made.”

She claimed that the Tories are replacing services in the UK which have “disappeared” and added: “Voters know that, they see that in their own communities, so why should they trust the promises you’re making to them now?”

The minister said the Tories have already exceeded their target from the 2019 general election with 62 million GP appointments made in the last year.

Kuenssberg then cornered the minister over Boris Johnson’s previous promise to open 40 new hospitals.

The journalist said only 11 of them would be deemed new hospitals, and only a handful of those have actually opened.

She added: “So why would people believe your promises now when that huge promise that Boris Johnson used to get the crowd to chant, that has not been kept?”

Atkins replied: “That promise was made in 2019, the pandemic hit us pretty much immediately after that.”

She added that they got building as soon as they could, with 18 currently in construction.

Channel 4 Presenter Uses ‘Basic Economics’ To Debunk Reform Leader’s Latest Migration Claim

Posted on 24/05/2024 by Boris Clair

Reform UK’s Richard Tice was torn apart on Channel 4 News last night when he tried to blame the NHS’s struggles and our economic woes on immigration.

Tice – who does not have a seat in parliament at the moment – said the Tories are terrified of his party splitting their vote, because Brits know the Conservatives have “broken Britain”.

He explained: “Slower healthcare, more health delays, ambulance delays, A&E delays, greater waiting lists – the greatest ever. Why?

“Because the huge extra pressure, because the Tories have betrayed Britain on mass immigration.”

The Conservatives vowed to cut migration, but recent stats showed net migration reached a historic high under Tory rule.

Channel 4 News’ Cathy Newman replied: “Well, the waiting lists could be just as much to do with the fact that we’ve got an ageing population, a sicker population.

“Migrants tend to be pretty young,” she pointed out.

“Actually it’s all to do with the extra surge in demand,” Tice said.

’What, the NHS waiting list?” Newman said with incredulity. “All the migrants are young, they’re not going to put particular pressure on…”

“So you’re saying that none of the 2.5m who have arrived here in the last two years, none of them are using the NHS? That’s ridiculous, Cathy. It’s a serious contributor,” Tice replied.

“No, I’m just querying your evidence for that,” Newman said.

“The evidence for that is… All elements of healthcare is a disaster,” Tice said.

Newman asked if he really believed Reform’s “net zero immigration” policy would actually boost the economy.

Tice said “absolutely”, and claimed that “basic economics” shows this would drives up demand for Labour.

But Newman hit back: “On the contrary, the basic economics is that the economy is fuelled by migration and that’s why successive administrations have allowed migration to flourish.”

The far-right party has only one MP right now – Tory defector, Lee Anderson – although Tice is standing in the Boston and Skegness constituency.

Nigel Farage, the party’s honorary president, was rumoured to be considering a return to lead Reform in a move expected to give the party a much-needed boost.

However, Farage claims he was “wrong-footed” by Rishi Sunak’s sudden election news and so has decided not to stand.

He said: “What I could not do in the space of six weeks… was to find a constituency from scratch and go around the country.”

<div class="js-react-hydrator" data-component-name="YouTube" data-component-id="1275" data-component-props="{"itemType":"video","index":23,"contentIndexByType":1,"contentListType":"embed","code":"

","type":"video","meta":{"author":"Channel 4 News","author_url":"https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCTrQ7HXWRRxr7OsOtodr2_w","cache_age":86400,"description":"Day one of the general election campaign and Rishi Sunak and Sir Keir Starmer have hit the ground running – taking their pitch to voters around the country.\n\n(Subscribe: https://bit.ly/C4_News_Subscribe) \n\nThe prime minister, who’s just arrived in the Scottish Highlands – started his day in Derbyshire, where he told people to put their trust in him, and the return of economic stability. \n\nThe Labour leader was in Kent – declaring it was time to \"end the chaos.\" \n\n———————– \nFollow us:\nFacebook – https://www.facebook.com/Channel4News/\nTwitter – https://twitter.com/Channel4News\nTikTok – https://www.tiktok.com/@c4news\nInstagram – https://www.instagram.com/channel4news/","options":{"_cc_load_policy":{"label":"Closed captions","value":false},"_end":{"label":"End on","placeholder":"ex.: 11, 1m10s","value":""},"_start":{"label":"Start from","placeholder":"ex.: 11, 1m10s","value":"1528"},"click_to_play":{"label":"Hold load & play until clicked","value":false}},"provider_name":"YouTube","thumbnail_height":720,"thumbnail_url":"https://i.ytimg.com/vi/GSe7wFI3-CI/maxresdefault.jpg","thumbnail_width":1280,"title":"Parties launch election campaigns across the UK","type":"video","url":"https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GSe7wFI3-CI","version":"1.0"},"flags":[],"enhancements":{},"fullBleed":false,"options":{"theme":"news","device":"desktop","editionInfo":{"id":"uk","name":"U.K.","link":"https://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk","locale":"en_GB"},"originalEdition":"uk","slideshowAd":{"scriptTags":[],"otherHtml":""},"slideshowEndCard":{"scriptTags":[],"otherHtml":""},"isMapi":false,"isAmp":false,"isVideoEntry":false,"isEntry":true,"isMt":false,"entryId":"66505454e4b042129b8a5b68","entryPermalink":"https://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/entry/reform-uks-leader-roasted-over-outlandish-immigration-claim_uk_66505454e4b042129b8a5b68","entryTagsList":"nhs,immigration,channel-4,reform-uk,richard-tice","sectionSlug":"politics","deptSlug":null,"sectionRedirectUrl":null,"subcategories":"","isWide":false,"headerOverride":null,"noVideoAds":false,"disableFloat":false,"isNative":false,"commercialVideo":{"provider":"custom","site_and_category":"uk.politics","package":null},"isHighline":false,"vidibleConfigValues":{"cid":"60afc140cf94592c45d7390c","disabledWithMapiEntries":false,"overrides":{"all":"60b8e525cdd90620331baaf4"},"whitelisted":["56c5f12ee4b03a39c93c9439","56c6056ee4b01f2b7e1b5f35","59bfee7f9e451049f87f550b","5acccbaac269d609ef44c529","570278d2e4b070ff77b98217","57027b4be4b070ff77b98d5c","56fe95c4e4b0041c4242016b","570279cfe4b06d08e3629954","5ba9e8821c2e65639162ccf1","5bcd9904821576674bc55ced","5d076ca127f25f504327c72e","5b35266b158f855373e28256","5ebac2e8abddfb04f877dff2","60b8e525cdd90620331baaf4","60b64354b171b7444beaff4d","60d0d8e09340d7032ad0fb1a","60d0d90f9340d7032ad0fbeb","60d0d9949340d7032ad0fed3","60d0d9f99340d7032ad10113","60d0daa69340d7032ad104cf","60d0de02b627221e9d819408"],"playlists":{"default":"57bc306888d2ff1a7f6b5579","news":"56c6dbcee4b04edee8beb49c","politics":"56c6dbcee4b04edee8beb49c","entertainment":"56c6e7f2e4b0983aa64c60fc","tech":"56c6f70ae4b043c5bdcaebf9","parents":"56cc65c2e4b0239099455b42","lifestyle":"56cc66a9e4b01f81ef94e98c"},"playerUpdates":{"56c6056ee4b01f2b7e1b5f35":"60b8e525cdd90620331baaf4","56c5f12ee4b03a39c93c9439":"60d0d8e09340d7032ad0fb1a","59bfee7f9e451049f87f550b":"60d0d90f9340d7032ad0fbeb","5acccbaac269d609ef44c529":"60d0d9949340d7032ad0fed3","5bcd9904821576674bc55ced":"60d0d9f99340d7032ad10113","5d076ca127f25f504327c72e":"60d0daa69340d7032ad104cf","5ebac2e8abddfb04f877dff2":"60d0de02b627221e9d819408"}},"connatixConfigValues":{"defaultPlayer":"8b034f64-513c-4987-b16f-42d6008f7feb","clickToPlayPlayer":"5a777b9b-81fe-41a6-8302-59e9953ee8a2","videoPagePlayer":"19654b65-409c-4b38-90db-80cbdea02cf4"},"topConnatixThumnbailSrc":"data:image/png;base64,iVBORw0KGgoAAAANSUhEUgAAAAEAAAABCAQAAAC1HAwCAAAAC0lEQVR42mNkYAAAAAYAAjCB0C8AAAAASUVORK5CYII=","customAmpComponents":[],"ampAssetsUrl":"https://amp.assets.huffpost.com","videoTraits":null,"positionInUnitCounts":{"buzz_head":{"count":0},"buzz_body":{"count":0},"buzz_bottom":{"count":0}},"positionInSubUnitCounts":{"article_body":{"count":12},"blog_summary":{"count":0},"before_you_go_slideshow":{"count":0}},"connatixCountsHelper":{"count":0},"buzzfeedTracking":{"context_page_id":"66505454e4b042129b8a5b68","context_page_type":"buzz","destination":"huffpost","mode":"desktop","page_edition":"en-uk"},"tags":[{"name":"NHS","slug":"nhs","links":{"relativeLink":"news/nhs","permalink":"https://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/news/nhs","mobileWebLink":"https://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/news/nhs"},"url":"https://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/news/nhs/"},{"name":"Immigration","slug":"immigration","links":{"relativeLink":"news/immigration","permalink":"https://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/news/immigration","mobileWebLink":"https://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/news/immigration"},"relegenceSubjectId":980421,"url":"https://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/news/immigration/"},{"name":"channel 4","slug":"channel-4","links":{"relativeLink":"news/channel-4","permalink":"https://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/news/channel-4","mobileWebLink":"https://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/news/channel-4"},"relegenceId":3449948,"url":"https://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/news/channel-4/"},{"name":"reform uk","slug":"reform-uk","links":{"relativeLink":"news/reform-uk","permalink":"https://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/news/reform-uk","mobileWebLink":"https://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/news/reform-uk"},"url":"https://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/news/reform-uk/"},{"name":"Richard Tice","slug":"richard-tice","links":{"relativeLink":"news/richard-tice","permalink":"https://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/news/richard-tice","mobileWebLink":"https://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/news/richard-tice"},"url":"https://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/news/richard-tice/"}],"isLiveblogLive":null,"cetUnit":"buzz_body","bodyAds":["

\r\n\r\n HPGam.cmd.push(function(){\r\n\t\treturn HPGam.render(\"inline-1\", \"entry_paragraph_1\", false, false);\r\n });\r\n\r\n","

\r\n\r\n HPGam.cmd.push(function(){\r\n\t\treturn HPGam.render(\"inline\", \"entry_paragraph_2\", false, false);\r\n });\r\n\r\n","

\r\n\r\n HPGam.cmd.push(function(){\r\n\t\treturn HPGam.render(\"inline-2\", \"entry_paragraph_3\", false, false);\r\n });\r\n\r\n","

\r\n\r\n HPGam.cmd.push(function(){\r\n\t\treturn HPGam.render(\"inline-infinite\", \"repeating_dynamic_display\", false, false);\r\n });\r\n\r\n"],"adCount":0},"isCollectionEmbed":false}”>

[embedded content]

Labour Announces Crackdown On Tax Dodgers To Plug £2bn Spending Hole

Posted on 08/04/2024 by Boris Clair

Labour has revealed it will plug the £2bn hole in its spending commitments by cracking down on tax dodgers.

Keir Starmer and shadow chancellor Rachel Reeves have promised a Labour. government will fund NHS improvements and free breakfast clubs in schools.

They had planned to pay for it by raising money through axing the non-dom tax status.

But chancellor Jeremy Hunt used his Budget to scrap the tax loophole himself and use the money to fund tax cuts.

The move meant Labour had to either ditch its commitments, oppose the tax cuts or find the £2bn elsewhere.

In the aftermath of the Budget, Labour said it was still working out where to find the money.

Speaking on Tuesday, Reeves will pledge to “take on the tax dodgers” and raise £5bn a year by the end of the next parliament.

Reeves will point to comments by Gareth Davies, the chief executive of the National Audit Office, who said in January that £6bn could be raised by cracking down on tax evasion and avoidance.

She will confirm £2bn of the funding raised each year from these plans will go towards the spending commitments.

“I have been clear that everything in our manifesto will be fully costed and fully funded. There will be no exceptions,” Reeves will say.

“That is why last month I promised to go through all the government documents in an orderly way to identify the funding streams to honour our commitments to the NHS and schools.

“That process is now complete and the funding a future Labour government will raise from taking on the tax dodgers will fund more appointments in NHS hospitals, new scanners, extra dentist appointments and free breakfast clubs for all primary school pupils.”

“Our schools and our hospitals are the British people’s priorities – and they are Labour’s priorities too.”

Labour will outline a plan to give HMRC up to an extra £555 million each year to allow it to help it collect more tax.

Under the proposal, the number of HRMC staff by up to 5,000 to ensure tax owed is collected.

There will be investment in the digitisation of the tax office and a greater use of AI.

NHS England’s Pause On Hormone Blockers ‘Will Deeply Affect’ Trans Youth, Charity Claims

Posted on 13/03/2024 by Boris Clair

NHS England’s decision to stop offering transgender youth puberty blockers has been described as “a blow” to the community by a charity.

Mermaids has criticised the decision, saying trans youth are “no exception” when it comes to universal access to healthcare.

What are puberty blockers?

Puberty blockers stop hormones which trigger irreversible physical changes (such as testosterone and oestrogen), that’s why they have been seen as a lifeline to some trans youth.

According to NHS England’s Gender Identity Development Service (GIDS), puberty blockers are a “physically reversible treatment if stopped”.

However, the website claims it is “not known what the psychological effects may be”.

At the moment, fewer than 100 young people in England are prescribed puberty blockers on the NHS.

What is the new ruling around puberty blockers?

NHS England held a public consultation on their usage last year – 10% of the 4,000 respondents were trans adults, 22% were patients, and 21% were parents.

As of Tuesday this week, puberty blockers will only be available through a mandatory research trial rather than available “routinely”.

But, those currently on puberty blockers will be able to continue their treatment.

Health minister Maria Caulfield praised the announcement, saying “children’s safety and wellbeing is paramount”, describing the move was a “landmark decision” and “in the best interests of the child”.

The ruling also comes weeks before the publication of an independent review into gender identity services in England.

An interim report, published 2022, suggested that there were “gaps in evidence” around the impact of the drugs.

What does Mermaids say?

Trans youth charity, Mermaids, told HuffPost UK: “This announcement is deeply disappointing, and a further restriction of support offered to trans children and young people through the NHS, which is failing trans youth.

“There were virtually no first appointments offered in 2023, with ever-growing waiting lists of over five years.

“Those currently prescribed puberty blockers won’t see any changes to their treatment, and this is a pause on prescribing – not a ban.

“It’s also important to note that puberty blockers can be just one possible part of a young person’s gender journey.

“However, this news still comes as a blow and will deeply affect our communities.”

Mermaids added: “Everyone deserves access to healthcare, and to live happy and healthy lives. Trans youth are no exception.”

Tory Ministers Left Red Faced After New ‘Dental Recovery Plan’ Accidentally Sent To Every MP

Posted on 06/02/2024 by Boris Clair

Government officials accidentally sent top secret plans to boost NHS dental care to every MP in the Commons.

The ‘Dental Recovery Plan’, which will see dentists offered a £20,000 “bonus” to encourage them to take on more NHS patients, was not supposed to be unveiled until tomorrow.

But the blueprint, seen by HuffPost UK, landed in MPs’ email inboxes at lunchtime today.

Under the plans, ministers will spend an extra £200 million “to ensure everyone has fast and fair access to a dentist when they need one”.

Up to 240 dentists will receive the £20,000 payment to treat NHS payments for at least three years in so-called “dental deserts” areas where recruitment and retention is difficult.

A new “smile for life” scheme will see children in the first year of primary school will be given lessons on oral hygiene.

The move echoes a Labour plan for supervised toothbrushing for all 3 to 5 year-olds – which has been criticised by some Tory MPs.

Mobile dental teams will also be sent into schools in areas with fewer dentists to provide advice and fluoride treatment to 165,000 children.

The scale of the dental crisis in England has been highlighted this week by images of huge queues of people trying to sign up for an NHS dentist in Bristol.

Yesterday, hundreds of people desperate for an NHS dentist appointment queued for hours when a new practice opened in Bristol.

After 14 years of Tory decline, this is the Britain we live in today.

It’s time for change. pic.twitter.com/GQAIRUosCA

— The Labour Party (@UKLabour) February 6, 2024

Shadow health secretary Wes Streeting said: “After 14 years of Conservative neglect, patients are desperately queuing around the block to see a dentist, literally pulling their own teeth out, and tooth decay is the number one reason for 6–10 year-olds being admitted to hospital.

“The Conservatives are only promising to do something about it now there’s an election coming. By adopting Labour’s proposals for recruitment and supervised toothbrushing, they are finally admitting that they are out of ideas of their own.

“It will be left to the next Labour government to rescue NHS dentistry and get patients seen on time once again.”

Dentists have also condemned the government plan.

Shawn Charlwood, chair of the British Dental Association’s general dental practice committee, said: “This ‘Recovery Plan’ is not worthy of the title.

“It won’t halt the exodus from the workforce or offer hope to millions struggling to access care. Nothing here meets government’s stated ambitions, or makes this service fit for the future.

“Ministers wanted to stop dentistry becoming an election issue. By rearranging the deckchairs they’ve achieved the exact opposite.”

WellnessMaster

Get The Latest News on Holistic Wellness

Category Archives: NHS