Big rise for NHS as Reeves VOWS to 'renew Britain'

CHANCELLOR Rachel Reeves put a £29 billion-a-year rise in NHS funding at the heart of her plans for "renewing Britain", with extra cash also promised for schools and transport.

- DAVID HUGHES, CAITLIN DOHERTY, CHRISTOPHER MCKEON

Ms Reeves acknowledged that “too many people in too many parts of our country” were yet to feel the benefits of the change they voted for when Labour was swept to power last year.

But critics warned the state of the public finances meant further tax rises were “almost inevitable” when Ms Reeves delivers her budget in the autumn.

The Chancellor's speech offered almost nothing specific for the West Country in terms of infrastructure spending. It emerged after she sat down that Hartcliffe in Bristol and Penhill in Swindon were part of 25 'trailblazer' areas in line for additional funding of up to £20 million.

The Chancellor said across the review period - lasting until 2028-29 for day-to-day spending and 2029-30 for capital investment - departmental budgets would grow 2.3% a year in real terms.

But that has been front-loaded by the cash injections made since Labour took office, meaning that from 2025-26 the increase is a more modest 1.5% on average.

And the scale of the spending on the NHS in England - increasing to £226 billion by 2028-29, equivalent to 3% annual increases in real terms - means squeezing other areas of public expenditure.