Jonathan Ashworth – 2021 Comments on the Queen’s Speech

The comments made by Jonathan Ashworth, the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, on 8 May 2021.

Boris Johnson should be honest with the country. Treatment lists at record highs and patients waiting longer for vital care including for cancer and mental health conditions is a consequence of 10 years of Tory cuts and underfunding in health care.

We entered the crisis short of 200,000 staff across health and social care leaving us exposed and vulnerable.

The test of whether this Queen’s Speech genuinely delivers for the people of Britain is if it brings forward a proper rescue plan for the NHS and delivers a social care solution as Boris Johnson promised on ten steps of Downing Street almost two years ago.