Department for Tax and Spend
Has Lansley knackered Osborne?
The Tories are still in a mess over Andrew Lansley's unagreed hospital pass on spending yesterday, with George Osborne talking cuts in other places, explicitly, for the first time:
In a speech yesterday the Shadow Chancellor confirmed that health increases would be funded by cuts elsewhere but said that the Government would have to do the same. “We have pledged to match Labour’s published health spending figures, which imply growth of 4.1 per cent a year for the next three years – NHS spending growing as a percentage of GDP,” Mr Osborne said.
“Some of that growth must come from efficiency savings and reductions in spending elsewhere – the plans that the Government has already published include absolute cuts in spending in several departments, including the Department for Work and Pensions and the Treasury.” Mr Osborne sought to allay fears over Mr Lansley’s remarks, emphasising that a Tory administration would get value for money from the NHS and seek to reduce its burden.
Lansley's still in trouble, reckons the Times. But what we want to know is - where's Alan Johnson? He's on the GMTV sofa saying....not very much at all:
A spokesman for Alan Johnson, the Health Secretary, declined to comment on whether it was inevitable that health spending would have to rise in real terms. “Those decisions are made as part of the Comprehensive Spending Review,” the spokesman said.
In an interview with GMTV Mr Johnson denied that Mr Lansley had succeeded in “neutering” health as an electoral issue. He said that Mr Lansley and David Cameron were “genuine about [their] commitment to the health service” but that the Tories were divided on the issue.
We're beginning to think Alan doesn't give a toss one way or the other.
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1 Comments
Where is the beef here Mr Monster ??
Osborne is just pointing out what is already tory policy and this is confirmed by shadow health secretary. Cue much head banging.
People had better start waking up to health costs. Tories are not being outflanked by labour - seems a sound tactical move. Dumb assed Tory bloggers who know the square root of bugger all about the health service are running round like headless chickens over this but they are missing the point.
I am a Tory which means I believe they will be better than labour at producing efficiency savings. I may well be naive - but whoever is in power has to face the reality of health inflation.