Streeting Rejects Reports That Reeves Will Impose Vat On Private Healthcare In Budget – Uk Politics Live

1 month ago

Good morning. Keir Starmer is delivering his reside to nan Labour convention later, and it is arguably nan biggest individual fightback opportunity he will get this year. Pippa Crerar has written up the slim overnight briefing we sewage astir nan reside from Labour. But a convention reside is chiefly conscionable a rhetorical event; a fund is simply a fiscal event, and a argumentation event, and that is why nan astir important infinitesimal for Labour betwixt now and nan extremity of nan twelvemonth is nan fund connected 26 November.

Starmer will reside delegates pinch nan media already braced for large taxation rises this autumn, prompted by what Rachel Reeves, nan chancellor, told nan convention yesterday. Some of nan papers are focusing connected nan wide likelihood of taxation increases.

The beforehand page of nan Financial Times, pinch a header reference 'Labour opens doorway to Budget taxation emergence arsenic Reeves appeals for fiscal discipline'

The beforehand page of nan Daily Express pinch a header reference 'It's nan aforesaid aged taxation emergence symptom pinch Labour'

The beforehand page of nan one paper, pinch a header reference 'Reeves signals taxation hikes - arsenic workers look stealth emergence of complete £600'

The beforehand page of nan Metro, pinch a header reference 'Things tin only get bitter'

But 1 newspaper has a much circumstantial claim. The Daily Mail claims that nan governent is considering putting VAT connected backstage healthcare successful nan budget. It says:

And Whitehall sources told nan Daily Mail that nan Treasury was examining options for adding VAT to services that are presently exempt – pinch backstage healthcare and financial services said to beryllium successful nan firing line.

Putting VAT connected backstage healthcare could raise £2bn for nan Treasury, but would deed up to 8m middle-class families.

The beforehand page of nan Daily Mail, pinch a header reference 'Reeves land a VAT onslaught connected backstage health'

Wes Streeting, nan wellness secretary, has been doing nan greeting question and reply round. Normally ministers do not remark connected fund matters. But Streeting could not person been clearer erstwhile he was connected BBC Breakfast this morning. The presenter, Jon Kay, said he knew that Streeting could not remark directly, but asked if he would talk nan principle. Streeting replied:

I’m going to daze you. It’s not happening.

Asked if he could guarantee that, Streeting said:

Yup. Not happening.

Streeting has been talking, among different things, astir 2 large health-related announcements this morning.

Care workers successful England are to person a important salary summation from 2028 aft nan creation of a caller assemblage of waste and acquisition unions and employers designed to stem nan exodus of workers from nan assemblage by improving wages and conditions. There are much specifications present successful Jessica Elgot’s story.

NHS England is mounting up what it calls an online infirmary – NHS Online. It says: “The innovative caller exemplary of attraction will not person a beingness site, alternatively digitally connecting patients to master clinicians anyplace successful England. The first patients will beryllium capable to usage nan work from 2027.” There are much specifications here.

I will station much from nan Streeting interviews soon.

Here is nan schedule for nan day.

9.30am: The convention opens. Speakers during nan greeting see Tracy Brabin, nan politician of West Yorkshire, astatine 10am, Hilary Benn, nan Northern Ireland secretary, astatine 10.10am, Heidi Alexander, nan carrier secretary, astatine 10.20am, and Wes Streeting, nan wellness secretary, astatine 11.50am.

11.30am: Bridget Phillipson, nan acquisition secretary, takes portion successful a Q&A arena astatine a Centre for Social Justice fringe.

2pm: Keir Starmer delivers his reside to nan conference.

4pm: Lisa Nandy, nan civilization secretary, takes portion successful a Sky Sports Q&A arena astatine nan fringe.

5pm: Shabana Mahmood, nan location secretary, takes portion successful a Tony Blair Institute Q&A arena astatine nan fringe.

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