{"id":62160,"date":"2024-05-30T10:20:25","date_gmt":"2024-05-30T10:20:25","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/news.talkwithrattan.com\/index.php\/2024\/05\/30\/general-election-starmer-promises-to-cut-welsh-nhs-waits\/"},"modified":"2024-05-30T10:20:25","modified_gmt":"2024-05-30T10:20:25","slug":"general-election-starmer-promises-to-cut-welsh-nhs-waits","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/news.talkwithrattan.com\/index.php\/2024\/05\/30\/general-election-starmer-promises-to-cut-welsh-nhs-waits\/","title":{"rendered":"General election: Starmer promises to cut Welsh NHS waits"},"content":{"rendered":"
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David Deans,<\/span>Political reporter, BBC Wales News<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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\"ReutersReuters<\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n

Sir Keir Starmer would not be in direct charge of the Welsh NHS if he won the general election<\/figcaption><\/p>\n<\/figure>\n
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As well as delivering economic stability and cutting NHS waiting times, Labour said it will crack down on antisocial behaviour, set up a publicly-owned clean power company and recruit new teachers in key subjects.<\/p>\n

It said it will raise money to cut NHS waits by cutting down on tax avoidance.<\/p>\n

The Conservatives said Labour’s record on waiting times is “abysmal”.<\/p>\n

Plaid Cymru said Sir Keir was “behaving as if the last 25 years never happened” and said the six steps were a “cynical rehash” of Labour’s UK pledges.<\/p>\n

The visit comes ahead of a vote of no confidence in <\/a>First Minister Vaughan Gething<\/a>, taking place in the Senedd next Wednesday.<\/p>\n

Mr Gething accused the Tories of playing political games.<\/p>\n

At the Labour event he made no direct reference to his own troubles, but said the Conservatives had a record of \u201ctreating politics as a game\u201d rather than \u201ca route to opportunity hope and security\u201d.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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\"SeneddSenedd Cymru<\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n

Ahead of a no confidence vote, First Minister Vaughan Gething accused the Conservatives of playing political games<\/figcaption><\/p>\n<\/figure>\n
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Health and education services have been run from Cardiff – and not Westminster – since Labour set up the former National Assembly for Wales in 1999. <\/p>\n

Labour has run the Welsh government, and been the largest party in the Senedd, since then.<\/p>\n

Most of the Welsh government’s cash comes from the UK government – Cardiff ministers have complained of being underfunded by the Conservatives in London.<\/p>\n

Over the last year the Welsh government has made cuts to other public services to help prop up the health service.<\/p>\n

Sir Keir Starmer, who is visiting south Wales, said: “These first steps will make a real difference to people’s lives.<\/p>\n

“If you’re waiting for NHS treatment, if your child is at school and you want higher standards, if your local area is plagued by anti-social behaviour, if you want cheaper energy bills for good, these first steps show what two Labour governments, working together, will do to help you.”<\/p>\n

Waiting times for hospital treatment in Wales hit new record highs earlier in May.<\/p>\n

The number of patient pathways – a statistic that refers to the total number of waits, rather than people waiting – rose by 6,400 to 768,899.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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Amid major job losses at Tata in Port Talbot, Labour said Sir Keir will “reiterate the Labour Party’s commitment to invest in the UK’s steel industry”.<\/p>\n

The six steps for Wales are:<\/p>\n