Labour's economic credibility takes a battering as it is revealed that their promise to give NHS staff a pay rise is funded by a tax hike used to pay for TWELVE policies

  • Labour's Jonathan Ashworth MP said NHS staff will get wage they 'deserve'
  • But the pledge is funded by a rise in corporation tax used to  bankroll 12 policies 
  • The Tories mocked Labour over the move, which the said shows Jeremy Coryn is not fit to be Prime Minister 

Shadow health secretary Jonathan Ashworth has vowed Labour will scrap an NHS pay cap and give staff a wage they 'deserve'

Shadow health secretary Jonathan Ashworth has vowed Labour will scrap an NHS pay cap and give staff a wage they 'deserve'

Labour's economic credibility took another battering today when it emerged their promise to give NHS staff a pay rise is funded by a tax hike they have used to bankroll 11 other policies.

Shadow health secretary Jonathan Ashworth has pledged to lift the one per cent pay freeze that has helped to prevent health trusts slipping even further into the red. 

But the flagship manifesto pledge soon turned into a shambles when he admitted it would be paid for by a rise in corporation tax which is already being used to fund a string of other commitments.

Conservative MP Bob Neill mocked Labour and said it shows that Jeremy Corbyn is not competent to lead Britain.

He said: 'This is just a taste of the economic chaos and jobs that would be lost if the weak, failing, nonsensical Jeremy Corbyn ended up in Downing Street.

'And it could easily happen – in recent days the SNP, Lib Dems, Greens and Plaid Cymru have all said they'd be willing to do a deal to put him there.

'The only way you can be sure of strong, stable leadership for Brexit and the economy is to vote for Theresa May and your local Conservative candidate on 8 June.'    

Here are the 12 policies Labour has already funded by the Corporation tax hike

  1. Increase the adult skills budget
  2. Pay to support British steel 
  3. Ending public sector pay restraint
  4. Reintroducing the Education Maintenance Allowance (EMA)
  5. Scrapping university tuition fees
  6. Extending pension credit paid to women hit by the rise in the pension age 
  7. To increase welfare payments paid through the universal credit
  8. Guarantee the pensions triple lock, which ensures pensions go up in line with inflation, pay or 2.5 per cent
  9. Pay for social care
  10. Pour more money into the NHS
  11. Give more cash to schools 
  12.  Pay for bereavement payments, one-off tax-free sums paid to the spouse of someone who has died 
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Lifting the pay ceiling would come with a heft price tag as even a one per cent increase in wages costs the NHS £500 million a year.  

Corporation tax has been cut from 28 per cent to 19 per cent as the government pulls out all the stops to boost investment.

But Labour have already said they would reverse the cut to pay for adult education, reintroducing education maintenance grants, scrapping tuition fees, to bankroll social care and a string of other policies. 

Mr Ashworth told the BBC Radio 4 Today Programme: 'We believe that some of the big cuts in corporation tax, some of the big giveaways to very big corporations that have gone on under the Conservative government and will continue to go on if the Conservatives are re-elected do not need to go ahead.'

But Paul Johnson, director of the respected Institute for Fiscal Studies, questioned if Labour had properly funded the announcement.

He said: 'Each one per cent on pay, just one per cent, costs half a billion pounds each time.

'It's not possible to say from what the Labour party have said quite how much more they intend to spend on the NHS.

'If you are going to do that over the next two or three years you will also clearly need to raise significant extra sums in tax revenue.' 

Millions of patients are being denied GP appointments in the week, MPs warn today

 Labour's pay pledge could cost taxpayers a £1billion a year, blowing a hole in the NHS budget

CORBYN 'HEADING FOR DISASTER'

With just weeks to go before the General Election, Labour is heading for disaster in the local council polls.

Experts said Jeremy Corbyn's party faced 'a kicking' in Wales in the May 4 council elections – while it was 'heading for disaster' in Scotland. Labour could also shed 75 seats in English councils – almost one in seven of the total it is defending.

Major councils such as Glasgow and Cardiff, which have been Labour-run for decades, could fall, it is predicted.

Analysis by Colin Rallings and Michael Thrasher, of Plymouth University, put the Tories on track for likely gains of around 115 councillors in England. The Liberal Democrats stand to gain around 85, and have hopes of taking control of Cornwall.

But Ukip is facing near wipeout, potentially losing 105 English seats – having already forfeited some due to defections.

Professor Roger Scully, of Cardiff University, told a briefing hosted by the Political Studies Association in London: 'Labour are likely to get another kicking in the local elections in Wales.'

And Professor John Curtice, of Strathclyde University, said: 'It looks as though Labour is heading for disaster north of the border. And therefore, it will be very, very surprising indeed if Labour retains control of any council in Scotland.'

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Other Labour pledges  include legislation for ‘safe staffing’ levels in hospitals – and reversing controversial cuts to bursaries for students studying for a career in the NHS

Other Labour pledges  include legislation for 'safe staffing' levels in hospitals – and reversing controversial cuts to bursaries for students studying for a career in the NHS

 

No mention of migrants or defence in TV script for MPs 

By Jack Doyle, Executive Political Editor 

A 'script' for Labour MPs to use during the election campaign makes no mention of immigration or defence, it emerged last night.

It also contains only a passing reference to party leader Jeremy Corbyn.

The document – leaked to the Huffington Post website – sets out Labour's main messages to voters on the doorsteps and on TV.

A ‘script’ for Labour MPs to use during the election campaign makes no mention of immigration or defence and contains only a passing reference to party leader Jeremy Corbyn

A 'script' for Labour MPs to use during the election campaign makes no mention of immigration or defence and contains only a passing reference to party leader Jeremy Corbyn

It shows the party will make a rash of expensive policy pledges but with no mention of how any of it will be paid for.

Any promises on controlling immigration or protecting the Armed Forces are notably missing.

The party's two main messages will be: 'A Labour who will build a better Britain for the many' and 'A Conservative Party who stand only for the few.'

Mr Corbyn's name does not appear until much lower down.

'With Jeremy Corbyn, Labour will stand up for you,' it says. In a passing reference to Brexit, the document claims: 'Labour is the only party that can be trusted to put the interests of working people first in the negotiation.'

Listing a series of policies, it says Labour would 'give the NHS the money it needs' and impose a new living wage of £10 an hour. Labour would also build a million new homes and reduce school class sizes.

In addition, it would retain the triple lock on pensions and give all primary school children free meals – paid for with VAT on private schools.

 

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