Lib Dems promise £6 billion extra a year for the NHS and care

The Liberal Democrats have announced plans to invest an extra £6 billion a year in our NHS and Social Care system.

This new funding will be paid for through an immediate 1p rise on all rates of income tax.

John Shaw, Liberal Democrat parliamentary candidate for Basingstoke, said: "The Conservatives don't care about the NHS or social care.

"10,000 bed days were lost in hospitals in and around Basingstoke last year because patients couldn't be discharged into under-funded, under-staffed social care. We need to put that right.

"We are prepared to be honest with people and say that we will all need to chip in a little more. A penny on the pound to save the NHS is money well spent, in our view.

"The extra funding that this will bring in will be ring-fenced to be spent only on the NHS and social care, and will provide vital services with the money they desperately need.

"The NHS was once the envy of the world and this plan is the first step in restoring it to where it should be.

"Now is the time to change Britain's future. The Conservatives want absolute power, Labour are too weak to stand up to them, so we will. The Liberal Democrats will be the strong opposition Britain needs."