Health secretary is due to speak at the Labour conference after announcing plans for an ‘online hospital’ aimed at cutting waiting times
Good morning. Keir Starmer is delivering his speech to the Labour conference later, and it is arguably the biggest personal fightback opportunity he will get this year. Pippa Crerar has written up the slim overnight briefing we got about the speech from Labour. But a conference speech is primarily just a rhetorical event; a budget is a fiscal event, and a policy event, and that is why the most important moment for Labour between now and the end of the year is the budget on 26 November.
Starmer will address delegates with the media already braced for big tax rises this autumn, prompted by what Rachel Reeves, the chancellor, told the conference yesterday. Some of the papers are focusing on the general likelihood of tax increases.
And Whitehall sources told the Daily Mail that the Treasury was examining options for adding VAT to services that are currently exempt – with private healthcare and financial services said to be in the firing line.
Putting VAT on private healthcare could raise £2bn for the Treasury, but would hit up to 8m middle-class families.
Background
This developing story continues to unfold as more information becomes available. The situation has drawn attention from various stakeholders and continues to be monitored closely.
Analysis
Industry experts suggest that this development could have significant implications moving forward. The broader context of this news reflects ongoing trends in the sector.
What This Means
The implications of this news extend beyond the immediate circumstances. Stakeholders are closely watching how this situation develops and what it might mean for future developments in this area.