21 Nov TORY Minister Will Quince has admitted he understands the frustrations many Conservatives have following the Autumn Statement.
TORY Minister Will Quince has admitted he understands the frustrations many Conservatives have following the Autumn Statement.
Speaking to GB News, he addressed the tax changes announced by Jeremy Hunt saying: “What is conservatism? it’s living and spending within our means. It’s about not passing debt on to future generations. It’s also about protecting the poorest, lowest paid and the most vulnerable in our society. And fundamentally, it’s got to be about tackling inflation which makes us all poorer, so of course, none of us wants to be increasing taxes. I completely understand why many will have been disappointed. But was it a fair, reasonable and balanced and right thing to do, given the challenges that we face? I think it was.”
Mr Quince also insisted Conservatism wasn’t dead continuing: “”No, it isn’t, and I think that is because in part health is one of the biggest priorities of the British people and also health is inextricably linked with growth and the health of our economy. So, it’s important that we are spending that money to make sure that our population is getting the health care that it needs. We are an aging population, we’re living with long-term health conditions, and we’re all living longer. That is a great thing, but it means we have to fund it and we have to fund it well. That’s why NHS funding has increased and will continue to increase. It’s a priority for the people, so it’s also a priority for this government. Given that it’s such a big priority and it’s inextricably linked with the health of our economy, then, inevitably, I think it’s important that we should continue to invest in it.”
Mr Quince, a Health Minister, also defended the Government’s record on the NHS.
He added: “There is a record investment going into the NHS but of course, there are efficiencies to be found. We spent huge amounts of money on commissioning both at a national and local level. The Chancellor did make clear that although there’s more money going to the NHS – an extra 3.3 billion pounds for the NHS alone and an additional 2.8 billion pounds for social care. We also have a big role to play in finding efficiencies and you’ll notice the Secretary of State, which is why the Chancellor announced that Patricia Hewitt, the former Labour Health Secretary is going to come in and help us at an integrated care system level to make sure that we are driving through those efficiencies.”
