May hints at Brexit dividend for the NHS
THERESA May yesterday hinted at a multibillion pound “Brexit dividend” for the NHS and other public services when Britain quits the EU next year.
On a tour of the UK to mark a year until departure, the Prime Minister said: “There’s going to be money that we would have been sending to the European Union that we’re going to be able to spend on priorities.”
She has resisted pledging cash saved by quitting the bloc and distanced herself from the Vote Leave campaign demand in 2016 for an
extra £350million a week to be spent on the NHS.
But earlier this week she confirmed the Government planned an overhaul of health funding. And yesterday she said savings from cancelling EU payments would form part of the cash injection.
“Of course when we leave the Union we will no longer be sending vast sums of money year in, year out,” she said. “So, there will be money available here for us to spend on our priorities, priorities like the NHS. We are going to look at a multi-year settlement… We have got a longterm plan.”
Mrs May also refused to rule out tax increases to provide extra money for the
NHS, saying: “We will, as part of normal processes, look at the funding. But we’ve got to look at the long-term plan.”
Her dash to Scotland, England, Northern Ireland and
Wales let her meet workers and business chiefs. After a textile firm in Ayr, she attended a parent and toddler group in Newcastle, met farmers outside Belfast and visited Aston Martin’s factory in Glamorgan.
Her plans were boosted yesterday by figures showing Britain’s trade is growing.
Data from the Office for National Statistics shows in 2017, exports of UK goods and services increased faster than imports – up 12.1 per cent and 9.3 per cent.
Meanwhile, it emerged last night the PM is offering the EU £1.4billion in continued overseas aid spending in return for agreements on security co-operation and better access to the European single market for British business.