The NHS is in an almighty mess but a surprising amount can be achieved at relatively little cost. First, we’ll fix the front door by cutting GP waiting times, which is causing dangerous delays in diagnosis. Secondly we’ll fix the back door, our social care service, so patients can benefit from residential care costing £700 a week instead of occupying a hospital bed costing £700 a day. We will also put mental health on the same footing as physical health.
Soaring food, energy and housing prices have pushed households to the brink. We urgently need to take the pressure off.
For decades, water companies have been allowed to pile up debt while paying excessive dividends to their owners. As a result, raw sewage discharge into our rivers and seas is breaking all records. Outright renationalisation is too expensive, given all the other demands on the public purse. But, by converting water companies into Public Benefit Companies, we’ll ensure they operate in the national interest. At the same time, we’ll replace Ofwat with a tough new regulator with new powers to prevent sewage dumping.
Horsham shoppers were surprised this week when Prime Minister Rishi Sunak appeared in Boots in Swan Walk. He was here to talk about shoplifting, but it was his remarks about local government finance that raise questions.
New figures released by the Environment Agency reveal that Southern Water discharged raw sewage for a staggering 317,285 hours last year. Far from getting better, this is 83% worse than in 2022.
Horsham District’s Liberal Democrats have labelled the Chancellor’s budget announcement today a “desperate deception”, with most people still paying more tax than 5 years ago.
