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Johnson denies 40 hospital pledge in danger as Labour raises ‘red flag’ warnings

Sir Keir Starmer accused the PM of breaking “yet another promise” on his rebuilding programme.

Richard Wheeler
Wednesday 01 December 2021 13:42 GMT
Prime Minister Boris Johnson leaves 10 Downing Street, London, to attend Prime Minister’s Questions at the Houses of Parliament. Picture date: Wednesday December 1, 2021 (Stefan Rousseau/PA)
Prime Minister Boris Johnson leaves 10 Downing Street, London, to attend Prime Minister’s Questions at the Houses of Parliament. Picture date: Wednesday December 1, 2021 (Stefan Rousseau/PA) (PA Wire)

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Boris Johnson has denied his key hospital building programme is unachievable, as Labour revealed a “playbook” has been issued to ensure refurbishments are described as new hospitals.

Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer accused Mr Johnson at Prime Minister’s Questions of breaking “yet another promise” on his hospital rebuilding programme.

The Health Service Journal last month reported a Government infrastructure watchdog has raised concerns about the lack of progress made to build 40 new hospitals by 2030.

Sir Keir said: “The Cabinet Office and the Treasury have checked on the progress and it’s reported that they have reached a damning conclusion.

“They have concluded that the project needs a red flag because it is unachievable. Prime Minister is that true?”

Mr Johnson replied: “No. He plays politics and asks frivolous questions, we are getting on with the people’s priorities.”

He added: “We are helping to build another 40 new hospitals with an injection of £36 billion of investments which that party voted against.”

Sir Keir countered: “This is strange because the Government hasn’t been denying the reports about the red flag and they haven’t done since, but now the Prime Minister does.

“There was obviously some confusion on these benches over whether the Cabinet Office and the Treasury think he is on course to break yet another promise, this time on new building of hospitals.”

He added: “If he is so confident in his answer, why doesn’t he publish the progress report in full and let us all see it?”

Mr Johnson maintained 40 hospitals are being built but Sir Keir said the Prime Minister lacked the confidence to publish the report, adding: “The more we look at this promise, the murkier it gets.

“I’ve got a document here sent by the Department of Health to the NHS. It’s called the ‘new hospital programme communications playbook’ – I kid you not. It offers advice to make it easier to talk about the programme.

“This guide instructs everybody to describe refurbishments and alterations on existing hospitals as new hospitals. We can all agree that refurbishments are a very good thing, but they’re not new hospitals.

“How many of the 40 are fix-up jobs on existing hospitals and how many are actually the new hospitals he promised?”

Mr Johnson replied: “You obviously don’t always go around building on greenfield sites, you rebuild hospitals and that’s what we’ve said for the last two-and-a-half years; it’s the biggest programme of hospital building this country ever undertaken.”

Sir Keir joked: “No wonder so many Tory donors paid so much for that wallpaper last year, he probably told them he was building a new flat.”

Concluding, Sir Keir highlighted “broken promises” from Mr Johnson before adding: “He promised 40 new hospitals and even if you count the paint jobs, his own watchdog says he can’t deliver it.

“Isn’t this the truth, Mr Speaker that any promises from this Prime Minister aren’t worth the manifesto paper they’re written on?”

Mr Johnson said Sir Keir “drivels on irrelevantly about wallpaper and parties, playing politics”, adding: “They’re getting on with factional infighting, we are delivering for the people of this country.”

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