The Liberal Democrats would seek to eventually take the UK back into the European Union single market, the party said in its General Election manifesto, which centres on health and social care.
“Once ties of trust and friendship have been renewed, and the damage the Conservatives have caused to trade between the UK and EU has begun to be repaired, we would aim to place the UK-EU relationship on a more formal and stable footing by seeking to join the single market,” the document’s international section says.
The party plans to boost cancer survival rates and introduce a guarantee for 100% of patients to start treatment for cancer within 62 days from urgent referral. Some £1 billion a year would be earmarked for capital investment in hospitals, equipment and other health infrastructure. “And that’s why I’m so proud the Liberal Democrats have put health and care at the heart of our campaign in this General Election, and at the heart of our manifesto too.”The party promises to raise the money needed for its investment plans, including the £9 billion package of commitments to fix the health and social care system, by:
Other pledges in the manifesto include ending the sewage crisis “by transforming water companies into public benefit companies, banning bonuses for water bosses until discharges and leaks end, and replacing Ofwat with a tough new regulator with powers to prevent sewage dumps”.