July 24, 2020
A year ago today the Prime Minister stood on the steps of 10 Downing Street for the first time, and set out his vision for how we would unite and level up across the country.
In the face of unprecedented challenges, we can be proud of what we have achieved together in that time and the progress we have made in delivering on our promises to the British people.
The Prime Minister made clear that he was going to restore trust in democracy, deliver on the 2016 referendum, and Get Brexit Done. Now, not only have we got Brexit done, and have left the European Union, but we have also delivered on our domestic agenda.
When campaigning for leader of the Conservative Party, Prime Minister Boris Johnson promised to level up across the country and improve public services. Twelve months on, the Prime Minister is already delivering on those promises.
We have kept our promises on NHS funding. We have delivered the biggest ever cash boost for the NHS and enshrined it into law.
We have kept our promise for more frontline NHS investment. We have 13,500 more nurses and over 7,800 more doctors in the past year, with 40 new hospitals and upgrades to 20 more, and £200 million for new cancer screen machines.
We have kept our promise on schools funding, with £14.4 billion over three years and set out a £1 billion rebuilding programme to transform schools in every region of the country. That means we are increasing schools funding for every child across England.
We have kept our promise on more police officers. We have recruited 4,000 more police officers since last year, meaning we are on track to deliver 20,000 more officers overall. We have delivered the biggest police funding boost in a decade. And we are backing our officers with more powers, protection and equipment.
We have kept our promise to boost local transport connections, confirming a revolution in local transport, backed by £5 billion to improve bus and cycle lines. We have announced funding to fix 50 million potholes and started reversing the Beeching cuts to restore local railways and stations to their former glory.
And we have kept our promise to help those who need it most. We are giving the lowest paid a pay rise by providing the largest ever cash increase in the National Living Wage, and giving inflation-busting pay rises to teachers, prison officers, doctors and other vital public sector workers.
In that speech on the steps of Downing Street, the Prime Minister also pledged to be a Prime Minister for every corner of the United Kingdom.
The last six months have shown why the historic and heartfelt bond that ties our country together is so important.
That's why we will keep on delivering for every part of the United Kingdom. The devolved administrations in Scotland, Northern Ireland and Wales will receive a minimum of £3.7 billion in additional funding this year, on top of the £8.9 billion confirmed since March to support the coronavirus recovery. And we'll work together across the whole United Kingdom to keep delivering on our promises.
We have only been able to do all this thanks to your hard work, and the efforts of millions of working people across the country. This is what a One Nation Conservative government can achieve when it is ambitious about unleashing Britain’s potential.
It has been a year of extraordinary and unprecedented challenges. And we know there are challenges that lie ahead. We will not be blown off course.
We have a Plan for Jobs which, building on the £160 billion support we have provided so far, will help to support, protect and create jobs as we recover from the coronavirus pandemic.
The people of the United Kingdom put their trust in us to unite, level up and unleash Britain’s potential. We can be proud of what we have achieved in the last year but there is much more to do – so let’s get on with doing it together.
Commenting, Therese Coffey, Secretary of State for the Department of Work and Pensions, said:
“Corbyn’s Pension Tax will see ten million savers facing a huge bill forcing them to delay their retirement for almost three and a half years.
“This is just one of the ways a Corbyn government would hammer hardworking people on top of his plans to hike up taxes by £2,400 a year, as well as the cost of his plan for unlimited immigration and the chaos of 2020 being dominated by two more referendums – one on Brexit and another on Scottish independence.
“Only Boris Johnson and the Conservative Party can get Brexit done with a deal, get parliament working again and turbocharge our economy to unleash Britain’s potential.”
Read more about how this Pension Tax will impact millions of savers (PDF)
