Debunked: Tory lies about Welsh health spending
Vox Political has been made aware that some Tories are passing false information about the Welsh Government’s health spending since the Coalition started cutting its grant to Wales – by a total of 10 per cent since 2010.
If any readers see Tweets, Facebook posts or blog articles alleging NHS expenditure at a certain amount and then claiming that the Welsh Government cut spending rather than Westminster, show them the following – it’s the actual NHS Wales expenditure for 2010-2013:
- 2010-11: £5.355bn
- 2011-12: £5.389bn
- 2012-13: £5.427bn
(Source: Statistics for Wales (@statisticswales) 11/6/14)
If healthcare had been budgeted in line with the cut from Westminster, the figure would have been £4.82 billion in 2015-16. There was £150 million ‘extra’ in 2013-14, £570 million ‘extra’ in 2014-15, and will be £420 million ‘extra’ in 2015-16. I don’t have figures for 2013-14.
I can’t provide totals because health spending in the statistical release is different from health and social services spending in the Welsh Budgets for the last few years, and the plan for next year. It wouldn’t be comparing like-for-like and I’m not about to fall into Jeremy Hunt-style statistical abuse.
Meanwhile, real-terms funding for health in England was falling… would you like to read about that?
Follow me on Twitter: @MidWalesMike
Join the Vox Political Facebook page.
Vox Political needs your help!
If you want to support this site
(but don’t want to give your money to advertisers)
you can make a one-off donation here:
Buy Vox Political books so we can continue
demolishing false claims about our cherished institutions.
Health Warning: Government! is now available
in either print or eBook format here:
The first collection, Strong Words and Hard Times,
is still available in either print or eBook format here:
I may be wrong, but I think the Welsh ‘allowance’ from Westminster has been cut by around £1.2 billion.
That smacks of an inherent intent to set Welsh Labour up to [in tory eyes & logic], be seen to fail.
And Plaid Cymru go along with the Westminster [Tory] view.
Politics…
So, according to Labour, Welsh health spending has gone up while in England spending has been cut, despite the fact spending in both countries has edged up slightly? Fair enough on the Welsh side, but let’s never again hear that NHS England spending has been cut.
In England there has been a real-terms cut.
In Wales, there has been an above-inflation rise, despite the 10 per cent cut in income from Westminster over the five year period.