Prime Minister David Cameron visited Lincoln on Friday, April 24 to launch a manifesto which puts “English votes for English laws” at the heart of the Conservative Party campaign.
From the Assembly Rooms on Lincoln Bailgate, David Cameron, joined by the outgoing Leader of the House of Commons William Hague, gave a speech about the introduction of a separate rate of income tax for England.
Photo: Steve Smailes for The Lincolnite
Speaking to hundreds of invited guests, Cameron and Hague said that within 100 days of an election victory the party would see English MPs given a veto on legislation that no longer applies to Scotland.
The West Lothian question again came to the fore with the Conservative leader arguing that MPs north of the border should have less input in English-only matters.
In addition to drumming up support for the Lincoln Conservative parliamentary candidate Karl McCartney, Cameron also championed a number of local schemes including the Lincoln Eastern Bypass.
Prime Minister David Cameron. Photo: Steve Smailes for The Lincolnite
William Hague. Photo: Steve Smailes for The Lincolnite
He also committed to a ‘seven-day NHS’, and said that people would benefit from better access to GPs.
Despite claims that the manifesto launched today could be an attempt to out-UKIP UKIP, the Prime Minister argued that the move was not the Conservative’s own brand of nationalism.
He said: “I’m not an English nationalist, I am a believer in the United Kingdom, and the best way to strengthen the United Kingdom is to make sure that devolution works for every part including England.
“On the issue of immigration, what we have come forward with is the clearest and the strongest possible plan to cut net migration into the UK.”
Photo: Steve Smailes for The Lincolnite
Cameron spoke to The Lincolnite about issues surrounding physical and mental health services.
He said: “We’ve guaranteed that we will fund the Simon Stevens plan for the NHS, which is the NHS’s own plan, that’s an extra £8 billion in this parliament, just as we put in an extra £7 billion in the last parliament.
“The seven day access to GPs is important because if we can deliver that across the country by 2020 you’ll find that more people will be able to access the psychological therapies, the physical therapies, the help, assistance and advice they can get from their GP surgery. That will take pressure off our hospitals.
“It’s a priority to have that 8am to 8pm opening seven days a week for everywhere in the country.
Transport infrastructure is also on the Lincolnshire agenda. Cameron added: “I think the Eastern Bypass will be right up there with transport priorities. Karl has won that, he’s got the guarantee from he treasury that it’s going ahead and that will be a really key investment.
“Generally speaking, we have the biggest roads investment programme since the 1970s and I want to make sure the East Midlands gets its fair share of that.”
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