Responding to the Autumn Statement, Lib Dem MP Candidate for Exeter, Will Aczel, said:
“The Autumn Statement fails to bring in any serious measures to address the crisis in our NHS. Over 7.7 million people are on the NHS waiting list, a record high. I am deeply concerned this will only worsen this Winter as a result of the Conservatives' inaction.
“The crisis runs deep in Devon, as the sixth worst area in all of England for NHS waiting list backlogs. Over 12% of Devon’s population are waiting for non-urgent treatment. We deserve better.
“It’s a no-brainer that we need people off waiting lists and able to work, yet this Conservative government simply doesn’t care. You only have to look as far as the Covid Inquiry to hear their contempt for vulnerable people.
“The Autumn Statement exposes the Conservatives' priorities. £3.8bn in tax cuts for big banks, whilst cutting real-terms funding for the NHS by £4.7bn. Testing the water on an inheritance tax cut that would only benefit some of the wealthiest 4% of people, whilst hammering working people with stealth taxes. The windfall tax raising £7bn less than expected by 2027-28 lets oil & gas giants off the hook, whilst millions of us face the highest ever energy costs this Winter.
“It is astonishing that the Conservatives claim to be the party of fiscal responsibility yet have wasted £100bn since the last General Election.
“Labour fail to offer any hope for real change. The Shadow Health Secretary said Labour "would hold the door wide open" for the private sector in the NHS. This would further contribute to the fragmentation and erosion of our NHS, and risks losing sight of the public interest. Lib Dems demand better.
“The Liberal Democrats want to enable people to thrive by providing a strong social safety net. We have a £5bn a year plan for free social care. This will help clear the backlogs and curb costs in the NHS too. We will invest, reform, and recruit to revitalise our NHS.
“An election cannot come soon enough to show these out-of-touch time-wasters the door.”
In Devon, A&E waits of over 4hrs have increased from 21% of patients in 2019 to 46% in 2023. Read the Lib Dem response.
One-third of A&E patients had to wait over 4 hours at our local Devon NHS trust last month.
Will Aczel shares his views on the Chancellor's March Budget.
They need to get a grip and start showing some leadership, or get it over with and call a General Election now.
In addition to our amazing result of a gain and a hold in Exeter, Lib Dems have been smashing it across Devon and the country.
With both the Labour leader and Labour locally standing in the way of electoral reform, the best way to hold them and the government to account is by voting Liberal Democrat.
