Boris Johnson says NHS is his top priority in election victory speech
Boris Johnson has said the NHS will be his government’s top priority as he reached out to thank those that had voted Conservative for the first time in their lives.
Johnson delivered a victory speech just after 7am this morning, addressing traditional Labour supporters who voted for the Tories yesterday.
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The party’s route to a landslide victory was through winning a tranche of historically Labour constituencies north of London.
“You may only have lent us your vote, you may not be a natural Tory,” he said.
“Your hand may have quivered over the ballot paper before you put your cross in the Conservative box and you may return to Labour next time round, and if that is the case I’m humbled you have put your trust in me and you have put your trust in us.
“I, and we, will never take your support for granted.”
Johnson set out to further reassure those voters by emphasising that the health service would be his top priority in government and that he would “massively increase NHS funding”.
“Whoever we are, rich, poor, young, old – the NHS is there for us.
“When we are sick and every day that service performs miracles.
“The NHS is this One Nation government’s top priority.”
Johnson’s Conservatives won an historic landslide yesterday, consigning Labour to its worst electoral defeat since 1983.
With all but three seats declared, the Conservatives have picked up 363 seats, Labour 202, the Scottish National Party (SNP) 48 and the Liberal Democrats 11.
The Tories’ victory came in large part thanks to traditional Labour voters, in seats that voted leave in the Brexit referendum, switching their allegiances.
The Prime Minister said that his government would ensure Britain leaves the EU by 31 January and that he had “put an end to those miserable threats of a second referendum”.
Setting out the vague basis of his intentions, Johnson made it clear that his government would mark a stark departure from the David Cameron austerity years by opening the taps to investment.
“We have won votes and trust of people who have never voted Conservative before and people who have always voted for other parties,” he said.
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“We cannot, must not, let them down.
“In delivering change, we change too. We must recognise the incredible reality we now speak as a one nation a Conservative party.”