The Liberal Democrats would raise income tax in order to pay for social care, the party has announced.
Tim Farron said today an extra £6bn a year would be spent to “rescue” the service. It would be paid for with a 1p rise on all rates of income tax.
The Conservative said the Lib Dem plan would hit 30 million people with an unwanted tax increase.
Labour said the Lib Dems could not be trusted to deliver on the pledge.
The promise on the NHS and social care is the Lib Dem’s first big manifesto commitment.
Farron said: “Theresa May doesn’t care about the NHS or social care. People are lying on trolleys in hospital corridors and she has done nothing. The truth is you can’t have a strong NHS with a Hard Brexit.
“The Liberal Democrats will rescue the NHS and social care. We are prepared to be honest with people and say that we will all need to chip in a little more.”
The Lib Dem manifesto will set out a ‘five-point recovery plan’ for NHS and social care services.
Jane Ellison, the Conservative Financial Secretary to the Treasury, said people should vote Tory to “secure our growing economy” and “keep taxes low”.
“Now we know - a vote for anyone other than Theresa May means you will pay more tax. Jeremy Corbyn, the Lib Dems and SNP will hit 30 million people in the pocket with higher income taxes,” she said.
Labour’s Lucy Powell, the former shadow cabinet minister who is standing for re-election in Manchester Central, said the Lib Dems “broke their promises and would do it again”.
“Their promises are undermined by their record. In government they helped the Tories take our NHS backwards by making it harder to see your GP, putting hospitals into financial crisis and wasting £3 billion on a top-down reorganisation of the NHS. And on tax, they promised fair taxes and no VAT increase only to give millionaires tax breaks while working families were hit by a VAT rise,” she said.
“The Lib Dems want you to believe that they care about the NHS. Don’t trust them: they will say anything to get elected. You can’t trust the Lib Dems.”