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Secretary of State for Health

My hon. Friend makes an extremely important point. Frankly, the message to NHS staff that we are hearing from Conservative Members is, ““You don’t need more money because you would have made the improvements anyway, so you don’t need the extra staff or the higher pay and we won’t give you a decent public service pension either.”” Two days ago, the right hon. Member for Witney set out his seven-point policy for the NHS. His first point was"““an immediate stop to the closure of A&E and maternity services.””" Well, of course that is what he is saying. He wants the headlines. He loves the demonstrations and the marches. But let us look—[Interruption.] Conservative Members should take note of the small print of what their party leader said. He said that the changes should be suspended"““Until there is clear clinical…evidence””." Those are weasel words from a Tory leader who says different things to different people and who will say anything at all if he thinks that it will please. He simply will not face up to the difficult policy challenges that confront our country. I have the clinical evidence in my hand and the right hon. Gentleman knows that it exists.