Chris Leslie MP, Labour’s Shadow Chief Secretary to the Treasury, responding to reports of David Cameron’s speech on Monday, said:

“After a week when we’ve seen a Tory NHS crisis worsening day after day it’s a staggering omission by David Cameron to fail to make the NHS one of his six themes.

“On the deficit David Cameron has broken his promise to balance the books because he has failed to deliver rising living standards for all. Working people are worse off under the Tories and that’s why the tax revenues needed to get the deficit down have fallen short.

“The Tories have abandoned the centre-ground with a risky plan for even deeper spending cuts which would take public spending back to a share of national income last seen in the 1930s.

“Labour will cut the deficit every year and get the current budget into surplus and national debt falling as soon as possible in the next Parliament.

“Our tough but balanced plan is different from the Tories’ extreme and ideological approach. Alongside sensible spending cuts we will reverse David Cameron’s tax cut for millionaires and tackle the cost-of-living crisis. That’s the only way to balance the books in a fair way while protecting our NHS.”

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