Labour

Hidden NHS Budget Cut - Ed Balls and Andy Burnham

Ed Balls MP, Labour’s shadow chancellor, said:

“The tax grab on pensioners was not the only hidden bombshell in the Budget. David Cameron and George Osborne have silently taken half a billion pounds from the National Health Service.

“Yet at the same time George Osborne has given a £3 billion tax cut to the richest people in the county – a tax cut worth over £40,000 for the 14,000 people earning over £1 million.

“It tells you everything you need to know about this government that they’re prepared to take money from pensioners and our NHS, while giving a tax cut to the richest people in our country.

“Some people thought the Tories had changed, but with this one Budget we’ve seen their true colours. It’s the same old Tories – a Budget where millions are asked to pay more so millionaires could pay less.”

Andy Burnham MP, Labour’s shadow health secretary, said:

“David Cameron and George Osborne have not been honest with the public about their NHS plans.

“This week we saw the Government’s true colours; they are handing out tax cuts to millionaires and P45s to nurses.

“The NHS is already suffering as the Government holds back billions to pay for their unnecessary top-down reorganisation.

“Now we learn the Government is making a further £500m raid on the health budget as thousands of nursing jobs are being axed.

“The Government promised any savings would be reinvested in the NHS. Now we know the truth – the NHS frontline is taking a hit to pay for tax cuts for millionaires.