will today (Tuesday 26 September) give his first Autumn
Conference speech since becoming Liberal Democrat leader, firing
the starting gun for the party's campaign at the next General
Election.
will put health and care at the heart of his speech,
highlighting how the Liberal Democrats have led the way in
proposing solutions to tackle the crises facing the NHS, on GPs,
ambulances and dentists. He will accuse the Conservatives
of breaking promise after promise on the NHS, from their failure
to recruit more GPs to their pledge to build 40 new hospitals,
adding that there should be a warning on the ballot paper that
“voting Conservative is bad for your health.”
He will emphasise that getting the millions of people stuck on
waiting lists or suffering from mental health illness is key to
getting the economy back on track, adding that “the Conservatives
broke our economy with their carelessness, Liberal Democrats will
fix our economy with care.”
will then criticise the Conservatives for being “more
like a bad soap opera than a functioning government,” pointing to
“the corruption of , the chaos of and the carelessness of .”
Finally, the Liberal Democrat Leader will issue a rallying cry to
his party to bring the Blue Wall “tumbling down” at the next
election. He will point to the Liberal Democrats’ record as the
“strongest campaigning force in British politics,” concluding
that “the British people are desperate to see the back of this
appalling, out-of-touch Conservative Government, and we are the
ones who can make it happen.”
***CHECK AGAINST DELIVERY***
On the Liberal Democrat plan to fix the economy by fixing
the NHS and care, is expected to say:
“The Conservatives have broken promise after promise on the NHS.
From their 40 new hospitals, to 6,000 more GPs and Rishi Sunak’s
pledge to bring down waiting lists. All of it a total con.
“Perhaps there should be a warning on the ballot paper, like
there are on cigarette packets: Voting Conservative is bad for
your health.
“We can’t build the economy we need with 7 million people stuck
on NHS waiting lists. We can’t grow the economy with 2.5 million
people shut out of the labour market by long-term physical and
mental illness.
“I am so proud that we Liberal Democrats have consistently led
the way in highlighting the crises in the NHS and proposing
solutions. Reversing cuts to GP numbers and guaranteeing an
appointment when you need one, tackling life-threatening
ambulance delays, and improving access to NHS dentists.
“Health and care both are key parts of our plan for the economy.
The Conservatives broke our economy with their carelessness.
Liberal Democrats will fix our economy with care.”
On ending the Conservative soap opera, is expected to say:
“Britain isn’t working, because the Conservatives aren’t working.
They’re more like a bad TV soap opera than a functioning
government.
“The factions and the feuds. The personal vendettas. The shock
exits and unwelcome returns. The total lack of connection to
reality. Each episode worse than the last. Well it’s time to
change the channel.
“The corruption of , the chaos of and the carelessness of . This whole Conservative
shambles. They all have to go.”
On bringing down the Blue Wall at the upcoming General
Election, is expected to say:
“Together, the Liberal Democrats are the strongest campaigning
force in British politics. Our campaigns and our victories are
changing the future of British politics and turning the tide
against the Conservatives.
“We’ve shown the next election won’t be all about the Red Wall.
It’s about the Blue Wall too. Former Tory heartlands where we’ve
shown we are the only ones who can win.
“People are desperate for change. And while clings on – out of touch and
out of ideas – our job is to show the British people that
positive change is possible.
“Over the last few years, we have taken big chunks out of the
Blue Wall. Our job now is to bring it tumbling down. The British
people are desperate to see the back of this appalling,
out-of-touch Conservative Government, and we are the ones who can
make it happen.”
