Wes Streeting urges doctors not to strike amid claims manifesto is not the ‘sum total’ of Labour's NHS spending
16 June 2024, 18:03 | Updated: 16 June 2024, 18:07
Wes Streeting has admitted that Labour's manifesto is not the "sum total" of its spending plans, as he urged junior doctors not to strike ahead of the General Election.
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The shadow health secretary has clarified that Labour's document does not account for all his party's plans to spend billions on public services, such as the NHS, if elected.
Speaking on Sunday, he said Labour would only spend more taxpayers’ cash if the economy grows enough to make doing so affordable.
He insisted: “We will not make promises we cannot keep or that the country cannot afford.”
But the Conservatives said such comments showed that "Labour simply aren't telling the truth about their plans" to boost public spending, and that he had "let the cat out of the bag".
It comes after the shadow health secretary emphasised that Labour would not agree to a 35 percent pay rise for junior doctors, branding the demands “unaffordable”.
A spokesman for the party said: “After a three-day long conspiracy of silence, Wes Streeting has finally said what we all know.
“Labour’s manifesto is just window dressing for the election campaign, and they are planning to spend and tax more than they are telling the public.
“Labour is trying to get through this campaign by not being honest with families about the true cost of their plans and the cost to families up and down the country in higher taxes on your home, your car, your business and your pension.”
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It follows comments made last week by Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer unpacked the party's blueprint for Britain at a general election campaign in Manchester.
He promised tax increased of £8.3 billion and the recognition of a Palestinian state.
The party was critiqued for establishing just one year's worth of costs for its policies, even though Sir Keir stressed that all his plans would be "fully costed".
The party manifesto provides a breakdown of the revenues it would raise and the amount of money needed for 2028-29, which would be it's last year in office.
Conservative officials criticised the lack of in depth figures for the first four years of Labour's time in power, stating that its plan for the nation was "totally unserious".
During Sunday's interview with Sky News, Mr Streeting did not rule out council tax increases or revaluations.
When asked whether this could happen under a Labour government, he reiterated the party's line: "We don't want to see the tax burden on working people increase...
“None of those pledges in our manifesto requires increases in council tax or increases in fuel duty or any of the other number of taxes the Tories are claiming we want to increase.”
