Ridiculous comeback of the century
Almost every Labour candidate ever has told the electorate that the Conservatives should spend more on the NHS.
There have been a very small number of Labour politicians, of whom the former Labour Health secretary and now Mayor of Manchester, Andy Burnham, is the most prominent, who have said, especially in private or when talking to teachers, policemen, or local government officers, that cuts to the budgets of schools, police services, and local councils governments were exacerbated because of the, quote, "irresponsible" decision to ring-fence and protect the NHS budget.
But I've never seen that view in a Labour leaflet, and most Labour politicians talk at every opportunity about the need to put more money into the health service.
Today Theresa May gave them what they previously said they wanted: an increase of more than 3.5% in real terms, rising to £20 billion a year by 23/4, in NHS funding.
So what did Labour's Emily Thornberry have to say this morning?
Did she say "I'm delighted that the government have done what we asked for?"
Did she say "The NHS desperately needs more money" (which is what her party had previously been saying) "so we welcome this decision?"
For all I know she may have said more than the BBC quoted her on the radio as saying but I can only tell you what I heard and it was neither of those things.
She was quoted on BBC Radio 4 today as asking where the money is going to come from!
From anyone else in the country that would be a perfectly reasonable question, but from the people who have been screaming for more money for the NHS for approximately seventy years (except when they've been in government themselves) to ask where that money is coming from when the government does what they have been suggesting?
Honestly, that really is ridiculous.
There have been a very small number of Labour politicians, of whom the former Labour Health secretary and now Mayor of Manchester, Andy Burnham, is the most prominent, who have said, especially in private or when talking to teachers, policemen, or local government officers, that cuts to the budgets of schools, police services, and local councils governments were exacerbated because of the, quote, "irresponsible" decision to ring-fence and protect the NHS budget.
But I've never seen that view in a Labour leaflet, and most Labour politicians talk at every opportunity about the need to put more money into the health service.
Today Theresa May gave them what they previously said they wanted: an increase of more than 3.5% in real terms, rising to £20 billion a year by 23/4, in NHS funding.
So what did Labour's Emily Thornberry have to say this morning?
Did she say "I'm delighted that the government have done what we asked for?"
Did she say "The NHS desperately needs more money" (which is what her party had previously been saying) "so we welcome this decision?"
For all I know she may have said more than the BBC quoted her on the radio as saying but I can only tell you what I heard and it was neither of those things.
She was quoted on BBC Radio 4 today as asking where the money is going to come from!
From anyone else in the country that would be a perfectly reasonable question, but from the people who have been screaming for more money for the NHS for approximately seventy years (except when they've been in government themselves) to ask where that money is coming from when the government does what they have been suggesting?
Honestly, that really is ridiculous.
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