Ed Davey announced 'a manifesto to save the NHS’ with pledges on care and electoral reform

Lib Dem leader Ed Davey announced “this is a manifesto to save the NHS”, as he launched the first party manifesto of the 2024 general election today. 

The NHS and social care were at the heart of his manifesto speech, as Davey started by talking about his own experience caring for his mum as a child after she was diagnosed with terminal cancer. With a focus on care, he also noted touching moments during his election campaign hearing the stories and personal experiences from other carers as he noted, “these messages mean so much to me”. 

He went on to sum up the party’s plans on health and social care and touched on other key promises in their offer to voters. 

Here are five key takeaways from the Lib Dems manifesto launch. 

1. New minimum wage for care workers. During his speech, Ed Davey said, “caring has been in the shadows too long”, as he announced the party would introduce a higher minimum wage for care workers. He said the party has a “bold plan” for care, including free personal care, based on need not the ability to pay. 

2. The party has pledged to introduce electoral reform, ending the current First Past the Post system and replacing it with Proportional Representation, which Davey said was “absolutely critical” and would help ensure the powerful are held to account. 

3. Transforming cancer care is another pledge Davey made, as he said he wants to “boost survival rates to the best in the world”. He announced that a vote for the Lib Dems was “a vote for a strong NHS champion who will fight every day for the NHS and care”.

4. Restoring bereavement support for parents whose partners have died was a proposal  Ed Davey said he was particularly proud of, as he recalled the importance of the widow’s pension for his mother after his father died. He said this would be a reversing of cuts made by the Tory Party in 2017.

5. Davey said the Lib Dems’ stance on capital gain tax is a sign of fair reform, as the party has promised an overhaul of capital tax to raise £5bn for the NHS. He told the media he thinks the wealthiest in the UK should be paying more on capital gains tax as he said his manifesto is “a challenge to other parties on healthcare and tax”.

The Lib Dem leader told the media after that the bold plans were fully costed, as laid out in the 114-page document with the full detailed policies. The manifesto also pledges to take the UK back into the European Union single market which he was quizzed on by the media. Ed Davey urged voters to “take a chance on us” as “the party really offering change”, taking the opportunity on a number of occasions to attack the Conservative Party record. 

(Image credit: Sky News / YouTube screenshot)

Hannah Davenport is news reporter at Left Foot Forward

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