UK PM Rishi Sunak Promises Reduced Health Waiting Lists, Illegal Migration In 1st Party Broadcast

UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak promised reduced NHS waiting lists and to repair the economy besides tackling illegal migration in his first party political broadcast on Wednesday.

British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak promised reduced waiting lists in National Health Services (NHS) and repairing the economy besides tackling illegal migration in his first party political broadcast on Wednesday. Citing the pandemic as a reason for creating huge backlogs in the health service, the UK promised “hard-headed common sense” in approaching the migration issue, according to the report in the Independent.

“Our country faces some of the biggest challenges any of us will have seen in our lifetimes, with our economy, in our NHS on our borders,” said Sunak, according to the clip first broadcast on ITV.

“Covid has done huge harm to the NHS.  It’s created massive backlogs, which we’re working through, but Britain’s heroic response to Covid shows that where the political will exists to really grip a problem we can bring everyone together and achieve the unthinkable,” the PM said.

“That takes leadership so I’ve immediately set in train a new approach and taken the best of our experience from fighting Covid to reduce NHS backlogs and get patients treated quicker…", the leader said.  “I’m determined to get the number of people on waiting lists falling and I will not let you down,” he added in the pre-recorded video according to the Independent report.

Addressing illegal migration, Sunak said, “We’re taking decisive action already, deploying hundreds of new agents to tackle immigration criminals, putting an end to the appalling situation where taxpayers are paying to keep illegal migrants in hotels.

“And we’re introducing new laws that make it unambiguously clear that if you come to our country illegally, you will not have the right to stay and will be removed," he said. “Britain will always be a place for global talent and those in dire need.” “But basic human decency must be accompanied by hard-headed common sense.”

In the footage that has dramatic music in the background, the Prime Minister also touted the “difficult but fair decisions” he had taken to get borrowing and debt under control.

He also focused on five priorities announced in his new year’s speech starting from curbing inflation, economic growth, reducing debt, cutting NHS waiting lists, and stopping small boat Channel crossings.

Meanwhile, on Wednesday the PM admitted using private healthcare following weeks of speculation about whether he relied on NHS services. He revealed that he was registered with an NHS GP but told MPs he had used “independent” healthcare in the past.