Friday, March 29

Corbyn fights back after childcare funding gaffe


 

 

Jeremy Corbyn will attempt to fight back after his childcare funding embarrassment by attacking the Conservatives on schools and the NHS.

The Labour leader will claim patients will suffer longer waiting lists and children will be crammed into overcrowded classrooms if the Tories are re-elected on 8 June.

Mr Corbyn’s fightback comes after a Labour childcare pledge misfired when he failed to say how much it would cost during a stumbling interview on BBC Radio 4’s Woman’s Hour.

Now, in a speech in central London, he will also attempt to move the election campaign on to Labour’s agenda after Theresa May made Brexit her issue and said Mr Corbyn was unfit to lead the UK’s negotiations with Brussels.

Mr Corbyn will claim the future of the National Health Service and English schools are on the line in the election and new analysis shows the impact of the Tories’ plans.

Labour’s analysis claims that under Tory plans:

5.5 million people will find themselves on NHS waiting lists in England by 2022, a 1.8 million increase;

On social care, he will claim 1.5 million older and vulnerable people will not have their needs met;

650,000 school children will be crammed into primary school classes larger than 30 pupils; and

Families will be almost £450 worse off per child as a result of Tory plans to scrap free school meals for 1.7 million children.

Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn launches the party’s race and faith manifesto Mr Corbyn will say Labour plans to invest £37bn in the NHS and £8bn in social care, with moves towards creating a National Care Service.

He will also say Labour would cap class sizes at 30 for five, six and seven-year-olds and provide free school meals to all primary school children, paid for by charging VAT on primary school fees.

Speaking in Westminster, the Labour leader will say: The futures of our NHS and schools are at stake in this election.

Over the last seven years the Tories have starved the public services we rely on of resources, running them down and pushing them into disrepair.

Patients are suffering ever longer waits and overcrowded wards, those who need care have been left without it. Children are crammed into overcrowded and crumbling classrooms. It has to change.

Labour will invest in our people, schools and hospitals. We will cut class sizes, take a million people off the NHS waiting list and ensure people get the care they deserve.

But Work and Pensions Secretary Damian Green said: Brexit negotiations start 11 days after people vote and are crucial to our economic security and the future of public services.

Made up numbers from Corbyn cannot hide the fact he’s not up to the job of getting the deal we need.