The Prime Minister and Chancellor are putting on a show of unity today. They appeared together at a hospital in Kent as part of Boris Johnson’s planned reset. But smiles and photo-ops cannot mask tensions between Downing Street neighbours.
As memories of lockdown recede from view and life returns to something akin to normal, more mundane but politically potent concerns about the NHS are returning to the front of the public’s mind.
A record six million people were sat on a waiting list for non-urgent care in November — before the Omicron variant struck.
One in 20 have been waiting for more than a year, while Health Secretary Sajid Javid has warned the total number would rise before falling, driven by millions who spurned treatment during the pandemic.
It is therefore concerning that the Government’s multi-billion-pound plan to tackle the logjam has been postponed, reportedly following an intervention by the Treasury. Clearing the NHS backlog forms a central plank of Johnson’s comeback strategy.
It must pay off, given his politically risky decision to raise National Insurance in order to fund it. Therefore any delay could be damaging.
The Treasury’s mantra is to always secure maximum value for money. This however can take on a political element, if the Chancellor does not view his fortunes as inextricably linked to the Prime Minister’s. This calculation characterised much of the latter part of the Blair-Brown era.
A key test for Johnson will be clearing the NHS backlog. And to do that he will need to build real relationships with his Chancellor and Health Secretary.
