Liberal Democrat conference: Sir Ed Davey pledges two-month cancer treatment guarantee in closing speech

Published

9 months ago

September 26, 2023

admin

Sir Ed Davey has promised to introduce a guarantee for cancer patients to begin treatment within two months if his party holds the balance of power after the next general election.

In his closing speech to the Liberal Democrat conference in Bournemouth, the party leader attacked “Conservative chaos” in government for leading to “unacceptable delays”.

And he pledged the policy would be the “top priority” for him and his MPs in the next parliament.

Politics live: Davey delivers NHS-focused speech

Sharing how he lost both his parents at a young age to cancer, Sir Ed told the audience: “My family’s story isn’t unique. There are millions of us whose lives get turned upside down by cancer.

“This very day, across the UK, a thousand people will hear that fateful diagnosis. A thousand people, choking back tears as they try to process what it means for them.

“Far too many people are still waiting, far too long for a diagnosis, or to start treatment after being diagnosed.

“We will hold the government to account, for every target it misses and every patient it fails. We will never stop fighting for better care for you and your loved ones.”

A source close to the leader said that in practice, the policy would work like the Armed Forces covenant – a promise from the nation that those who serve or have served in the armed forces, and their families, are treated fairly – to improve services.

The health secretary would be the person ultimately responsible for making sure the target is met.

Patients would be able to complain to the health ombudsman if they weren’t seen within the timeframe, and it could see the government getting sued as a result.

The source would not be drawn over whether the policy would be a deal breaker in any negotiations with Labour after the election, as the party continues to avoid answering questions about any possible agreement coming from a hung parliament, saying instead that the Lib Dems were “focused on voters”.

But he did reveal the cost of the plan was £4bn over five years.

Sir Ed underlined a number of health pledges the party has made over recent days during the speech – including enabling patients to see a GP within seven days and bringing in mental health MOTs for vulnerable groups.

But he also focused his ire on the Conservatives, as the Lib Dems attempt to win over voters in traditional Tory seats.

Throughout the conference, the party has hammered home its strategy of targeting the so-called “Blue Wall”, with around 80 seats in their sights where they came second to the Tories at the last general election.

Policy announcements made this week designed to appeal to those constituencies included ditching their long-standing pledge to add 1p to income tax.

But the leadership failed to get support from its members to water down its housing targets, losing a vote on the conference floor after a campaign by young activists.

Lib Dems are determined to translate recent by-election wins into more widespread gains at an election

Rob Powell

Political correspondent

@robpowellnews

Despite the cuddly caricature frequently cast on the Lib Dems, the party has a ruthless streak – especially when it comes to by-elections.

If this four-day gathering on the Dorset coast has shown anything, it’s that the party leadership is determined to try and translate the discipline shown during recent individual votes into a wider strategy to pick up seats across the country.

That involves talking a lot about some things – chief among them the NHS, cost of living and the Tory record in government.

But crucially it’s also about barely mentioning others – for that, see the tension on show between members and party HQ over the lack of emphasis being placed on the long-term policy to re-join the EU.

Sir Ed Davey’s closing speech today was another illustration of this approach.

But the lack of some detail and costings around the key policy announcement of a cancer guarantee points to a possible criticism of this broader plan.

Are these serious and realistic answers to the big difficult questions facing the country?

Or just a sort of “centrist populism” that promises the world – just so long as you’re a disillusioned Tory who lives within a handful of marginal seats?

Lib Dems know the risks of making promises you can’t keep.

But after their post-coalition wipeout, they also know that policy can lack much purpose without a presence in parliament.

Sir Ed said: “For the British people, the next general election can’t come quickly enough. People are desperate for change.

“And while Rishi Sunak clings on, out of touch and out of ideas, our job – our responsibility – is to show the British people that positive change is possible. And that we are ready to fight for it, whenever the election comes.

“And this week, we’ve done just that. We’ve shown we have the policies, the passion and the people – not just to get the Conservatives out, but to deliver the real change people want. The fair deal people deserve.”

Politics

Scale of gambling scandal for Tories is different magnitude to Labour’s issue

Published

44 mins ago

June 26, 2024

admin

Scale of gambling scandal for Tories is different magnitude to Labour's issue

After days of furore directed at Rishi Sunak for the election betting scandal, now a Labour candidate is under investigation by the Gambling Commission for his own betting activity – and is immediately suspended.

Is this an equaliser in one of the grubbiest electoral sagas of recent elections? Quite possibly not.

There is no doubting the utter dismay in Labour HQ at the revelation that they too have a candidate caught up in the betting scandal.

Politics live: Labour to return £100k donation to suspended candidate

It lends itself to the easy narrative that there’s a plague on all politicians’ houses – everyone as bad as each other.

However, if the facts are as presented, the scale of the challenge for the Tories is of a different order of magnitude to that now facing Labour.

Labour’s Kevin Craig was suspended immediately after the party was informed by the Gambling Commission of the probe.

We are told that he placed a bet – not on the election date, but that he would lose his race in a general election.

He is certainly guilty of gross stupidity, as he admitted in a statement on Tuesday evening.

However, if this scenario is as presented, it is hard to see an allegation being mounted that he had insider intelligence on the race – unless it can be proved he was deliberately setting out to lose.

An under-pressure Gambling Commission will investigate every candidate’s name on the spreadsheet from gambling companies of those who placed bets – but it is unclear from available facts where this will go.

The Tory betting saga, however, is more complicated and now on its 13th day.

It was almost two weeks ago that Craig Williams – Rishi Sunak’s closest parliamentary aide and former Montgomeryshire MP – admitted he had placed a bet on the election date – a date he might have known before the public at large.

He denies he committed any offence, and remains under investigation.

Laura Saunders, standing for the Tories just south in Bristol North West, has also been suspended for putting a bet on the date when her partner worked in Conservative headquarters on the election.

For most of that time, Mr Sunak has been insisting he could not suspend either candidate because of the ongoing probe by the Gambling Commission.

Ministers, as well as opponents, weighed in.

And on Tuesday he reversed that decision under that pressure.

This means there are questions about the prime minister’s own judgement and unwillingness to act on top of questions about the behaviour of those closest to him.

This story has had massive cut through with the public, topping the charts for any news story in the UK – according to YouGov’s AI news tracker – for the last four days.

There is dismay from the cabinet downwards.

Labour’s own problems have undermined their own ability to go on the attack. But it is not clear that voters will see the two issues on the same scale.

The full list of the candidates running for Central Suffolk and North Ipswich is:

Charlie Caiger, independent;
Tony Gould, Reform UK;
Mike Hallatt, independent;
Brett Alistair Mickelburgh, Lib Dems;
Dan Pratt, Greens;
Patrick Spencer, Conservatives.

The full list of candidates for Bristol North West is:

Caroline Gooch, Lib Dems;
Darren Jones, Labour;
Scarlett O’Connor, Reform UK;
Mary Page, Green Party;
Ben Smith, SDP.

The full list of candidates for Montgomeryshire and Glyndwr is:

Jeremy Brignell-Thorp, Green Party;
Oliver Lewis, Reform UK;
Glyn Preston, Lib Dems;
Elwyn Vaughan, Plaid Cymru;
Steve Witherden, Labour.

Politics

US politicians who may be spinning the news with crypto

Published

9 hours ago

June 25, 2024

admin

US politicians who may be spinning the news with crypto

Donald Trump seems to have doubled down on digital assets after he was convicted of 34 felony counts in New York.

Politics

Four men arrested at Rishi Sunak’s North Yorkshire home

Published

10 hours ago

June 25, 2024

admin

Four men arrested at Rishi Sunak's North Yorkshire home

Four men have been arrested on suspicion of aggravated trespass in the grounds of the prime minister’s home, police have confirmed.

The incident took place at Rishi Sunak’s constituency address in Kirby Sigston, North Yorkshire, while he was attending events in London to mark the Japanese state visit.

A police statement said officers were “with the four men within one minute of them entering the grounds”.

Politics live: Labour to return £100k donation to suspended candidate

The arrests are connected to a protest by campaigners from Youth Demand. It describes itself as a group of young people who want “the Tories and the Labour Party commit to a two-way arms embargo on Israel, and to stop all new oil and gas licences”.

A spokesperson for the group said three of those arrested were taking part in the demonstration, while the fourth person was an independent photographer.

A North Yorkshire Police spokesperson said: “They were detained at around 12.40pm before being escorted off the property and arrested on suspicion of aggravated trespass.

“The men, aged 52 from London, 43 from Bolton, 21 from Manchester, and 20 from Chichester, remain in police custody for questioning and enquiries are ongoing.”

It comes after a separate incident last summer, when protesters scaled the roof of Mr Sunak’s home.

They held up banners which said “NO NEW OIL” and draped the building in fabric. It happened while the prime minister and his family were away on holiday in California.

Amy Rugg-Easey, 33, Alexandra Wilson, 32, Michael Grant, 64, and Mathieu Soete, 38, have pleaded not guilty to criminal damage, with a two-day trial set to take place in July.