Johnson says 'Brexit dividend' part of health funding
Reuters
Published Jun 18, 2018 13:20
Johnson says 'Brexit dividend' part of health funding
GENEVA (Reuters) - British Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson said on Monday that government plans for a boost to spending on the state-run National Health Service (NHS) would come in part from savings generated by leaving the European Union.
Prime Minister Theresa May pledged on Sunday to increase funding for the NHS by 20 billion pounds ($26.57 billion) after Brexit, though critics say the plans lack detail.
Johnson, who was visiting Geneva to address the U.N. Human Rights Council, dismissed the idea that many people thought relying on a "Brexit dividend" was nonsense.
"The important point is that you can only afford to fund the NHS well if you have a strong vibrant and dynamic economy where the government is focussed on enterprise and growth, so that's why I think we're able to do it," he told reporters.
"And the second thing is, I think, as the PM (Prime Minister Theresa May) rightly said, it's a downpayment on future receipts that will come to this country -- come to the UK -- as a result of discontinuing payments to Brussels."
He declined to comment on whether budget cuts would need to be made in other areas of government or whether taxes would need to go up.
Britain is due to leave the EU on March 29, 2019, though it is negotiating transitional arrangements to soften the economic and legal impact of withdrawal from a club it joined more than four decades ago.
May's Brexit plans face rejection by parliament's upper chamber, the House of Lords, on Monday, setting the stage for a high-stakes confrontation with rebel lawmakers later in the week which could rock her minority Conservative government.
Asked whether the government could fall if it loses the vote, Johnson struck an optimistic note.
"We are absolutely confident that we will deliver a Brexit deal that will... be good for the UK, good for our European friends and partners. We’re going to get on and do it," he said.
He declared it a "tonic" to be in Geneva, the home of the World Trade Organisation, where he said other countries were enthusiastic for Britain to return to its place as a campaigner for free trade.
Get The App
Written By: Reuters
Trading in financial instruments and/or cryptocurrencies involves high risks including the risk of losing some, or all, of your investment amount, and may not be suitable for all investors. Prices of cryptocurrencies are extremely volatile and may be affected by external factors such as financial, regulatory or political events. Trading on margin increases the financial risks.
Before deciding to trade in financial instrument or cryptocurrencies you should be fully informed of the risks and costs associated with trading the financial markets, carefully consider your investment objectives, level of experience, and risk appetite, and seek professional advice where needed.
Fusion Media would like to remind you that the data contained in this website is not necessarily real-time nor accurate. The data and prices on the website are not necessarily provided by any market or exchange, but may be provided by market makers, and so prices may not be accurate and may differ from the actual price at any given market, meaning prices are indicative and not appropriate for trading purposes. Fusion Media and any provider of the data contained in this website will not accept liability for any loss or damage as a result of your trading, or your reliance on the information contained within this website.
It is prohibited to use, store, reproduce, display, modify, transmit or distribute the data contained in this website without the explicit prior written permission of Fusion Media and/or the data provider. All intellectual property rights are reserved by the providers and/or the exchange providing the data contained in this website.
Fusion Media may be compensated by the advertisers that appear on the website, based on your interaction with the advertisements or advertisers.