Patients, tenants, carers and young people were put at the heart of the Liberal Democrats’ manifesto which was unveiled on Monday.
Sir Ed Davey proposed a £9 billion “rescue package” for the NHS and other public services. The Lib Dem manifesto includes:
* A right to see a GP within seven days, or 24 hours if urgently needed, with 8,000 more GPs — half through recruitment, half through better retention — as part of a £3.7 billion boost to day-to-day NHS spending.
* Guaranteeing access to an NHS dentist for everyone needing urgent and emergency care.
* A dedicated mental health professional in every primary and secondary school, mental health hubs for young people, and more mental health check-ups at points in people’s lives when they are most vulnerable.
* A guarantee for all patients to start cancer treatment within 62 days from urgent referral.
* Around £1 billion a year for capital investment in hospitals, equipment and other health infrastructure.
* An extra £3.7 billion for social care, with a higher care workers’ minimum wage set £2 above the minimum wage. Personal social care would be free, based on need, not ability to pay. During the election campaign, Sir Ed has told of his experience caring for his disabled son John, and looking after his terminally ill mother, and the manifesto includes a chapter on social care.
* Three-year tenancies being the default for new renting agreements.
* A shake-up of the water industry to tackle the pollution scandal.
The Liberal Democrats are proposing to pay for their investment plans by reversing the tax cut given to big banks, which they claim would raise £4 billion, and closing loopholes on capital gains tax, which they say would bring in £5 billion from the wealthiest 0.1 per cent in Britain.
Sir Ed said: “Years of neglect and chaos under the Conservatives have left our health services in a state of crisis. In many parts of the country, only the Liberal Democrats can beat the Conservatives and give communities the change they want.”
The Liberal Democrats are targeting three seats in London — Wimbledon, Carshalton and Wallington, and Sutton and Cheam — as well as a string of Tory constituencies in the capital’s commuter belt including Chancellor Jeremy Hunt in Godalming and Ash.
The party’s proposals gain significantly more importance if there is a hung parliament and Labour needs the backing of one of the smaller parties to be able to govern.
Sir Ed pledged a “fair deal for renters” which includes a ban on no-fault evictions and a national register of licensed landlords.
“Across the country, thousands of renters are at risk of losing their homes at the mercy of exploitative no-fault evictions,” he added.
He ruled out increases to income tax, VAT and national insurance contributions.
