Boris promises biggest EVER cash boost to NHS with cash for 50,000 more nurses

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THE Prime Minister has promised to turn on the spending taps if voters let him stay on in No10 starting with 50,000 more nurses for the NHS.

Unveiling his blueprint for power yesterday, Boris Johnson banished the past decade of austerity.

Boris promises the biggest ever cash boost to the NHS

The Tories election manifesto pledges 100billion to rebuild Britains creaking transport and infrastructure network, billions more for schools and 20,000 more police.

And there is tailor-made help to ease the burden on struggling workers, from tax cuts to childcare boosts.

Mr Johnson enshrined his top six election policies along with his pledge to crack on with Brexit as solemn guarantees to voters.

He insisted his polling day offer is a major step change from the belt-tightening of his predecessors David Cameron and Theresa May.

Hailing what he dubbed the biggest ever cash boost to the NHS, he said: I believe absolutely passionately its our job as One Nation Conservatives to support a step change in funding of our great public services, particularly the NHS.

This is a new government. It is a very dynamic, positive and active government.

We think now is the time to invest in our public services, but to do it in a way that maintains the long-term prosperity of our country.

NEW TAX CUTS

A total of 3billion in extra spending a year is pledged in the Tory manifesto, on top of Mr Johnsons initial extra splurge of 13.8billion more for public services, unveiled in September.

In addition, the PM offered up 3.3billion in new tax cuts yesterday, with most of it coming by raising the National Insurance threshold to give every worker in the country an 85 tax bill cut next year for starters.

The vast majority of the new spending will be paid for by shelving a big new corporation tax cut for businesses, giving the Treasury 6billion a year extra to spend.

But Boris drew stark contrast between his spending offer and Labour boss Jeremy Corbyns 83billion-a-year state splurge plans that would see him spending 28 times what the Tories are promising.

Mr Johnson insisted only his offer is credible, because were doing it in a sensible way.

He added: Were making big commitments but we can only do that because we manage the economy sensibly.

He stressed the stakes have never been higher, and the choice has never been starker than they are on December 12. And he tore into his hard left rival for offering only dither and drift and deadlock and division.

Boris Johnson features on the front of the Conservative Party manifesto booklet
Paul Johnson, director of the Institute for Fiscal Studies, called the manifesto ‘modest’

Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn speaks to people as he campaigns in Thurrock

Mr Johnson said his vision for Britain depended on the need to first get Brexit done his campaign catchphrase that appears on the manifesto cover and no less than 22 times inside.

And he mocked the Opposition leaders fence-sitting.

To laughter from Tory faithful in the West Midlands marginal seat of Telford, he said: Jeremy Corbyn wont tell us whether he would even be willing to advise people to vote in favour of his own deal.

He used to be indecisive now hes not so sure.

The Tory leader put the NHS front and centre of his manifesto offer in a bid to counter Mr Corbyns main election claim that the National Health Service is only safe in Labours hands.

The 50,000 extra nursing posts will be paid for with an 800million cash injection for health chiefs.

There will be 14,000 new student nurses, 5,000 more from an increase in nursing degree apprenticeships, retaining a further 18,500 by improving terms and conditions and recruiting 12,500 from abroad.

The uplift represents a near 20 per cent increase on todays current number of 280,000.

There were also fresh policy promises to introduce a Right to Retrain for all adults, so workers can keep pace with technological change, funded by a 3billion National Skills Fund.

The PM also pledged a major package on the environment as well as animal welfare, calling on Tory activists: Lets go carbon neutral by 2050, and Corbyn neutral by Christmas.

A significantly tougher sentencing regime for serious criminals and more powers for police also feature prominently.

But while the manifesto was full of aspiration, there were no detailed plans on how to build the 300,000 new houses that Britain needs every year, nor a specific solution to fix the social care crisis that politicians have ducked for 20 years.

And, at just 60 pages in length, this years Conservative manifesto is significantly stripped down from the partys controversial offer in 2017.

Strategists carried out a major de-risking exercise to try to ensure they avoid the calamitous polling lead collapse that Theresa May suffered.

There was also no mention of Mr Johnsons Tory leadership pledge to cut taxes for the better off by increasing the basic rate of income tax band to 80,000.

Last night Paul Johnson, director of respected think tank the Institute for Fiscal Studies, called the manifesto modest.

He added: As a blueprint for five years in government the lack of significant policy action is remarkable.

But it was welcomed by business leaders, who had reacted in horror to Labours red socialist agendas.

CBI deputy director-general Josh Hardie said: Businesses will be heartened by a pro-enterprise vision, while looking for even more ambition on areas such as access to skills, infrastructure and reaching net zero.

  • A poll of polls taken before the manifesto launch gave the Tories a 12-point lead over Labour.It came after an Opinium poll for the Observer had the Tories on 47 per cent and Labour on just 28 per cent a massive 19-point lead.