4 IN 5 BACK PENNY TAX HIKE FOR NHS
Half of voters could switch to a party which pledges £11bn funding policy
THE majority of Brits would back a 1p rise in National Insurance to save the NHS, a Mirror poll found.
Four in five support the move that could plough £11billion more into the service crippled by Tory austerity.
And half could switch to the party giving the NHS most cash. One doctor said: “It shows people believe the NHS is still one of our most precious assets.”
VOTERS have delivered a damning verdict on the Tory handling of the NHS, with more than half believing the service is worse since the party’s brutal austerity campaign.
And four in five are so furious at the way it is being crippled that they back a 1p-in-the-pound rise in National Insurance to properly fund public health and undo the damage done by Theresa May.
In a dire warning to the PM, a third would vote for whichever party pledges the most money to the NHS at the next general election.
Almost as many Tory voters, 81%, as Labour voters, 86%, backed the move.
The 1p NI rise could bring in up to £11billion for the service, which marks it’s 70th anniversary next month.
British Medical Association honorary vice president Dr Kailash Chand said the Mirror-ComRes poll “could not be clearer”.
Speaking in a in a personal capacity he added: “They show the vast majority of people still believe the NHS is one of our most precious assets, and they are prepared to pay more to save it.”
Consultant psychiatrist Dr JS Bramah, also speaking in a personal capacity, added: “We need to act now to reverse the damage caused by austerity and senseless reforms, so patients can access and get the quality services they deserve from struggling mental health services, general practices and A&Es.
“It is reassuring that even during these stressful financial times people cherish the NHS sufficiently to dig deep into their pockets.”
Lib Dem health spokeswoman Judith Jolly said: “This poll shows the public are overwhelmingly in favour of paying more for their NHS, no doubt because they are aware of the lack of resources for our hard-working doctors and nurses.”
The poll showed 82% of voters would accept a 1p rise in the 12% contribution rate if it went straight to the NHS.
Accountants Blick Rothenberg said it would mean someone earning £12,500 paying £40.76 more a year.
Those on £25,000 would pay £165.76, and anyone on £46,350-plus pays 1% on their salary in NICs. So someone earning £100,000 a year pays an extra £1,000.
While 33% of those quizzed said they would “probably” back the party funding the NHS properly, a further 18% said they would definitely switch, meaning 51% are in favour.
And despite Tory boasts of the NHS being safe in their hands, 55% of voters believe the service has deteriorated since 2010, while 28% say it is the same and just 9% think it has improved. Even 45% of Tory voters said it was worse.
The poll was conducted after former PM Gordon Brown called in yesterday’s Mirror for a repeat of the 1p hike he introduced in 2002.
A growing number of Tory MPs have also demanded an increase.
Former minister Nick Boles has called for NICs to be set aside for health.
He said it “would be foolish to delude ourselves that we can meet the legitimate demands for high-quality care without spending more money.”
The NHS will soon need an extra £40billion funding a year, rising to £95billion by the 2030s.
ComRes interviewed 1,073 adults online yesterday.
Majority of people still believe NHS is one of our precious assets DR KAILASH CHAND BMA HON VICE PRESIDENT