When George Osborne delivered his Budget on 18 March, he wanted people to believe he had eased off his extreme and risky spending plans. He hasn’t. Independent experts have said the Tories are planning a “sharp acceleration” in spending cuts.
Here’s what you need to know:
1. The Tories are planning to cut faster in the next three years than in any year since 2010
2. The Tories’ plans mean nearly double the levels of cuts in the next three years than in the last three
3. Under their plans spending on day-to-day public services as a share of our national income will be at its lowest level since 1938
The extremity of the pace and depth of the Tories’ planned cuts will be deeply damaging for vital unprotected areas of spending, for example in defence, police and social care.
The Tories simply won’t be able to deliver cuts of this scale without cutting the NHS.
International experience tells us that countries who have embarked on spending cuts of this scale have cut healthcare over the same period. If equivalent cuts to public health spending were imposed on the UK, this could mean £7bn being cut from the NHS over the next Parliament.
Cutting £7bn from our NHS would have a disastrous impact on services and staffing levels.
People need to know the facts. If you know someone who would be worried about the future of the NHS, share this with them on Facebook now.