Trade union calls for Government to fund NHS properly or call general election

The leader of one of the country’s biggest trade unions has called on the Prime Minister to fund the NHS properly or call a general election.

Dave Prentis, general secretary of Unison, said Theresa May’s pledge of extra funding for the NHS was a “lie”.

He told the union’s annual conference in Brighton: “The funding she’s offered just isn’t enough.

“We’re not taken in by shoddy rhetoric about Brexit dividends. They’re not worth the buses they’re written on.

“Our message to Theresa May is this – fund our NHS and all our public services or call an election and we’ll elect a government that will.”

Mr Prentis (pictured) praised Labour’s last election manifesto, committing to ending the Public Finance Initiative and privatisation, repealing the Trade Union Act and re-opening Sure Start centres.

“We want this done in the first year of a Labour government, not delayed to a second term.”

Mr Prentis said the measures would be paid for by stopping giving money to PFI firms “ripping us off like the vulture capitalists of Carillion”.

He added: “Close the tax havens that bleed us dry and stop spending billions on weapons of mass destruction when our public services are in crisis – yes, let’s scrap Trident.”

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