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Latest updates: Labour leader to say he plans to move away from the ‘sticking plaster politics’ of short-term decision making
Rachel Reeves, the shadow chancellor, has been doing a broadcast interview round this morning ahead of Keir Starmer’s speech. On the Today programme, asked about the government’s anti-strike bill that may be announced today (see 8.48am), she said Labour would not support it. She said:
The NHS relies on the goodwill of doctors and nurses and other people who work in our health service.
If you say that people can’t take industrial action, to say that we’re going from clapping our nurses to sacking them for taking industrial action — which is what the government is now threatening — the idea that that’s going to produce outcomes and reduce delays for patients, that’s just for the birds.
Starmer says the next Labour government will not be able to rely on big spending as the solution to the nation’s problems. He will say:
Let me be clear – none of this should be taken as code for Labour getting its big government chequebook out again.
Of course investment is required – I can see the damage the Tories have done to our public services as plainly as anyone. But we won’t be able to spend our way out of their mess – it’s not as easy as that. There is no substitute for a robust private sector, creating wealth in every community.
