Rishi Sunak pledged to call for “poor leadership” in the health service, as he outlined plans to cut waiting lists and defend the tax hike he introduced while the prime minister aimed to fund care social care and reducing the NHS backlog.
The former prime minister, who in recent days has following Foreign Minister Liz Truss in the polls, were challenged on Friday over how the NHS waiting list has grown despite the introduction of a national insurance breaking manifesto aimed at tackling the problem.
Speaking in a Channel 4 interview, Sunak argued that the Conservatives in 2019 made a series of manifesto promises about fiscal policy that must be adjusted to the Covid-19 pandemic. He stressed the importance of providing proper funding to the NHS while reforming services to ensure value for money.
As prime minister, he said he would aim to create more elective surgery centers and more community diagnostic centers to tackle the backlog of patients, adding , “we need to make sure we call for poor leadership in the NHS, because there are great examples of good leadership and they know how to do it and we should learn from them”.
Last FallBoris Johnson has introduced a health and social care tax that aims to raise nearly 36 billion pounds over a three-year period to fund social care and reduce backlogs.
The number of people waiting for treatment at NHS hospitals in the UK reached 6.6 million in May. This early year, Sajid Javidthen Health Secretary, acknowledged that the waiting list would grow as an estimated 10 million people who had avoided going to the NHS during the pandemic gradually received treatment.
Sunak’s comments come after a tense week of televised debates and discussions, with both candidates repeatedly clashing over economic policy.
Speaking in Norfolk earlier on Friday, Truss defended her tax cut plansaid that “continuing on the economic path currently forecast to lead us to a recession” would be “risky”.
“The tax cuts that I am proposing are all about increasing the supply in the economy. And we know that inflation happens because of supply shocks,” she said.
In his interview on Andrew Neil ProgramSunak thinks the Foreign Secretary’s tax cuts will “fuel the fire” with inflation and push back against suggestions that his own policies will cause a recession.
“If you look at what is happening around the world, inflation is slowing down economies,” he said. “What we should do is focus on long-term growth because that’s what we need. Sustained growth, not a sugar rush, will make us feel better for months.”
Sunak once again rejected the offer that commitment to cut VAT on domestic energy after dismissing the policy as prime minister showed a lack of consistency. “I’ve always said from the start that as we learn more about what real energy bills will look like in the fall, I’ll be ready to do more,” he said.
During the interview, he was also challenged about revelations from earlier this year that his wife Akshata Murty keep “non-resident” status. “I am a candidate for office, not my wife,” he said. “A few months ago, we addressed this issue and she addressed the situation.”
Truss’ campaign received a boost on Friday when Tom Tugendhata former leadership candidate and chair of the foreign affairs selection committee, gave her his endorsement in the race.
Both camps have stepped up their policy offers in recent days. Sunak has pledged that his government will “protect our shared cultural, historical and philosophical heritage” by evaluating equal laws and through rigorous guidance on sex education and relationships in school.
Meanwhile, Truss is committed to “unlocking home ownership opportunities for millions of hardworking tenants” across the UK by allowing rent payments to be used as part of any property assessment. homebuyer’s ability to repay the loan.
