Non-dom tax money will fund 160,000 new NHS appointments, Sarwar to say
The Scottish Labour leader will address the first day of his party’s conference in Glasgow on Friday.
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Your support makes all the difference.Money raised by a Labour UK government scrapping the non-dom tax loophole will be used to cut waiting lists in Scotland, Anas Sarwar will say.
On the first day of the Scottish Labour conference in Glasgow, Scottish Labour leader Mr Sarwar will say the party will fund 160,000 new appointments each year.
In October, Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer set out a plan to fund more NHS appointments by using £1.5 billion from scrapping the non-dom tax status.
Scottish Labour says this will result in £134 million of additional health spending in Scotland.
The SNP wants Scotland to settle for sending a message. I want Scotland to send a government
Mr Sarwar will say he will spend “every penny” of this in Scotland’s NHS, with a focus on tackling waiting lists, with the money projected to generate the equivalent of 160,000 appointments for diagnostics and procedures each year.
Scottish Labour’s three-day conference begins in Glasgow on Friday.
Mr Sarwar is expected to say: “Every Scottish seat matters, every Scottish vote matters.
“Because by voting Scottish Labour, Scotland can be at the heart of the next UK Labour government.
“Scotland’s got a choice, and the SNP wants Scotland to settle for sending a message.
“Well I want Scotland to send a government.”
Mr Sarwar will say that “every single public institution has been left weaker” then when the SNP came to power 17 years ago, and there are now 830,000 Scots on waiting lists in the NHS.
He will add: “We will put fairness back at the heart of everything we do.
“That is why a UK Labour government will scrap the non-dom tax loophole.
“It means more money can be invested in nurses and consultants in our NHS.
“Right now, waiting times in Scotland are at a record level.
“Closing the non-dom tax loophole will deliver £134 million every year in Barnett funding for Scotland.
“Today I commit a future Scottish Labour government to investing every penny of that in our NHS to increase capacity and drive down waiting lists.
“That will deliver the equivalent of 160,000 more NHS appointments every single year. That is what change means. That is why change matters.”
Clare Haughey SNP MSP and convener of Holyrood’s Health Committee said: “Scotland’s NHS is a public asset to be incredibly proud of, which has stood firm against years of cuts to Scotland’s budget from Westminster, a global pandemic and the effects of Brexit.
“Brexit workforce shortages have put considerable strain on services; the Chancellor’s Autumn Statement presented a worst-case scenario for NHS funding, with extra funding that would cover just five hours in Scotland’s NHS, and the long-term recovery following Covid-19.
“Labour has absolutely no plans to address any of these issues; they are committed to Brexit, the continuation of devastating Tory cuts and holding the door wide open for the private sector. It’s clear they cannot be trusted with Scotland’s NHS.
“In stark contrast, the SNP Scottish Government has provided a real terms increase in funding for frontline health services, taking the total to £13.2 billion this year, while giving record pay increases to staff and making Scotland the only part of the UK to avoid strike action.
“The SNP will always protect our NHS and with the full powers of independence we can ensure it is safe from creeping privatisation and Westminster mismanagement once and for all.”