Labour: we’ll give the NHS less money than the Lib Dems

It’s taken some quite lengthy and detailed debate in the Liberal Democrats to come up with a fully-costed way to give the NHS in England the extra £8bn a year* it needs by 2020.

When we managed it, I expected it to be a good policy but also one that didn’t give the party much political advantage as surely the other parties would also match the call from NHS England’s Chief Executive for this sum?

Turns out no. Not only not the Tories, but not Labour either:

Labour and the Conservatives have rejected a plea from doctors’ leaders to “put their money where their mouth is” and guarantee the NHS an extra £8bn a year by 2020.

The two main parties have spurned the pre-election demand by an alliance of bodies representing GPs, hospital consultants, A&E specialists and other doctors that they commit to finding the “substantial” sum if they form the next government. The Lib Dems have pledged the extra funding.

* This is the figure for England. Devolved funding rules mean the Scottish and Welsh governments would get their funding increased by a proportionate amount, but it would be up to them to decide how to spend it.