that when you strip understand that when you strip everything else away, the economy is its people, and if we want to get the economy going strongly again we need to focus far more on our people. need to focus far more on our --eole. �* �* ,, of course, that means investing in people, through education, training, skills. but today i want to talk about another investment in people. an investment that too often has not been linked to economic growth, even though it is central to growth. and thatis though it is central to growth. and that is an investment in people's physical and mental health. you cannot build the economy we need

with 7 million people stuck on nhs waiting lists, we cannot grow the economy with 2.5 million people shut out of the labour market by long—term physical and mental illness. when people are not supported to recover from long covid, wait weeks for a gp appointment, can't get basic help so they can get back to work my feed their families they can get back to work my feed theirfamilies and get they can get back to work my feed their families and get on in they can get back to work my feed theirfamilies and get on in life. a healthy economy needs a healthy population and a healthy nhs. and i have been so proud that we liberal democrats have consistently led the way in highlighting the crises in the nhs and proposing solutions. reversing cuts to gp numbers and guaranteeing an appointment when you need one. tackling life—threatening ambulance delays and improving access to nhs dentists. there is so many parts of our nhs plan that will

both treat people better and boost our economy. and today i would like to focus on one particular awful part of this health crisis. that shatters lives and picks people in their prime. —— takes people. it can be very difficult to talk about. it is difficult for me. i know it is difficult for many of you. but we do need to talk about it. and it is cancer. as many of you know, brothers and i lost both our parents to cancer when we were young. my dad died age 38, just a few months after being diagnosed with cancer called hodgkin's info enough. i was a relief for so i don't remember it

very well. —— hodgkins lymph owner. i remember my mum's grieve and incredible strength in the months and years that followed. after being widowed so young with three boys under ten. then when i was nine, cancer came from mum also. she was diagnosed with breast cancer and i do remember how that felt. she had treatment, including a mastectomy. three years later they found secondary breast cancer, into static cancer in her bones. they told her it was incurable. yet mum refused to accept that it was incurable. she battled it. for three years. for her boys. she tried everything. including a naturopath, while we looked after her. it was hardest of

course in the last 18 months or so as she became bedridden and the pain became excruciating. for me, caring for her became my life before school and after—school. i would sit for hours on her bed, talking to her, telling her about my day, listening to her stories. trying to make the most of every minute. when she was fighting the cancer with the natural path, my top task with matching up carrots and apples per day healthy juices she lived on. then was helping her with the pain, pouring out doses of morphine from this big belljar we had in the kitchen. i don't think they would allow that now. putting pads on her legs and sides so she could give herself small electric shocks when the pain got really bad. it was a tough

period as a teenager. but it was much, much tougherfrom mum. yet in those years were also special. they gave me an incredible bond with my mum, she was so strong. so resilient. fighting to be with her boys. even in the face of such a cruel disease. i would like to think i learned a lot from her. i was 15 when she died. they put her on a totally unsuitable dementia ward in nottingham general hospital. i was visiting her on my way to school, in my school uniform, by her bedside. when she died. i don't tell you all this because i want you to feel sorry for me, not at all, it was a long, long time ago. and i have been very lucky since. but i do tell you

all about this because actually too many families have their cancer stories. like mine. today. my family's story isn't unique. there are millions of hours whose lives get turned upside down by cancer. this very day, across the uk, 1000 people will hear that fateful diagnosis. 1000 people choking back tears as they try to process what it means for them. 1000 people trying to figure out how to tell their loved ones. how to break the news to their partners, their parents, to their partners, their parents, to their children. and then 1000 people wondering what comes next. now, we are fortunate in this country that their membrane people in our nhs and

in charities like mcmillan, and there is a story of progress and hope, cancer mortality rates have fallen by 25% in the last 30 years. ten year survival rates have doubled in the last a0. diagnoses like both my parents were given her no longer necessarily the death sentence today that they worked back then. science and universal health care really are wonderful things. and universal health care really are wonderfulthings. but and universal health care really are wonderful things. but i still think we could be doing so much better on cancer. are too many people are still waiting far too long for a diagnosis, orto still waiting far too long for a diagnosis, or to start treatment after being diagnosed. and i am afraid to say they have been let down and forgotten by this conservative government. last year the government promised an new ten year cancer plan. it was supposed to

be a surging new vision for how we will lead the world in cancer care. this year, after two changes of prime minister and three changes of health secretary, that plan has been junked. yet another casualty of all the conservative chaos. hopes raised only to be cruelly dashed. because we do need a cancer plan, despite all the progress, our survival rates still lag behind france, germany, the us and japan. and the government is now missing every single one of its waiting time targets for cancer. i do not buy a little back by a lot. —— and not by little. now there are more than 20,000 people across england who have been told they have suspected cancer, who have been referred for urgent treatment by their gp, but who have been waiting

more than two months to start treatment. more than two months! just imagine the fear, anxiety, the helplessness, knowing you need treatment, knowing everyday it could make difference. but powerless to do anything but wait. like ian. an engineer i was speaking to just last week. ian lives in nottingham, just down the road from where i live with mum before she passed away —— lived with mum. like me, ian lost both his parents to cancer when he was young also. ian had been fit and healthy all his life but he was diagnosed with bowel cancer two years ago, in his mid—60s. the national screening programme caught it early, a small stage i tumour, crucially it was operable. ian needed chemotherapy and surgery as quickly as possible.

but he was kept waiting for months. before starting any treatment. now his cancer has progressed to stage iv, spread to his liver, and now it is inoperable. ian calls those four months of waiting the worst time of his life. he told me, i would wake up his life. he told me, i would wake up every morning wondering if i had a future. and he told me how preventing those delays could not only have saved his own despair but also saved the nhs so much money. conference, it isjust also saved the nhs so much money. conference, it is just not right to keep people in such limbo for so long. we patients better than that. we owed their families, long. we patients better than that. we owed theirfamilies, their children and their loved ones better than that. we own ian better than that, we master, master, master do

better than that! applause —— must, must do better. just in the months, we have seen incredible breakthroughs that could revolutionise the way we diagnose and treat many types of cancer. trials of a new blood test that can detect more than 50 types of cancer are really encouraging and the head of the nhs says it could transform cancer care forever. a simple blood test you can even carry out at home. 0r test you can even carry out at home. or the new cancer drug triad at the royal marsden hospital. it has been shown to slow the growth of tumours

and even shrink them in many cases, with far less debilitating side—effects than chemotherapy. just think what a difference breakthroughs like these could make. think how much time they could save, how much misery they could prevent, how much misery they could prevent, how many lives they could save. and it is the job of government to back research like this so scientists and doctors can make the next breakthrough, and the one after that, and the one after that. it is the job of government to make sure that whenever those breakthroughs happen, the nhs rules after the benefits to patients as quickly as possible. —— rolls out any benefits. if someone's life can be saved, no unnecessary delay should stand in the way ended his job of government to make sure that we are diagnosing cancer as early as possible, that peterso starting treatment as early as possible and that every patient gets the ongoing care and support

they need. applause friends, none of this actually should be party political. i know there mps in every party who have lost loved ones to cancer, like i did. 0r indeed who have battled cancer themselves. so i fervently hope we can build a consensus across politics to make cancer a top priority in the next parliament. but as leader of our party, i can at least promise you this. for liberal democrat mps, it will be a top priority. that is why today i am announcing our new and ambitious plan to end unacceptable cancer delays and boost survival rates. applause

we will hold the government to account for every targeted messes and every patient eight fails. we will never stop fighting for better care for you and your loved ones. of course it is not as cancer where the government is letting patents down, it is pretty much everything. the conservatives have broken promise after promise on the nhs. from their a0 hospitals to 6000 more gps, two rishi sunak�*s pledged to bring waiting lists down. all of it, just meaningless noise. all are total con. perhaps there should be a warning on the ballot paper. just like there is on cigarette packets. voting conservative as bad for your health!

applause it. as to rescue the nhs. and make sure everyone can get the care they need when they need it —— it. as to rescue. it won't be easy but we see a bright future for the nhs, not because we are blind to the scale of the crisis but because we are clear eyed about the solutions. more gps, so that everyone can get an appointment within seven days a 2a—hour if it is urgent. more investment in the latest technology from mri scanners to radiotherapy machines. and crucially, more carers. conference, we know the crisis in the nhs is inextricably linked to the crisis in care. we know that you cannot fix the nhs

without fixing social care. we know you cannot fix the nhs without valuing family carers. fix care, you fix the nhs. better social care, with many more care professionals, better paid. more support for family carers, so people can cope better looking after loved ones. these are low—tech, affordable ways to save our nhs, investing in care. so people can be discharged more quickly or don't need hospital care in the first place. so pressure on overstretched hospitals can be reduced. so patients are not stuck for hours waiting to be seen in a&e. so ambulances are not stuck for hours waiting outside a&e to hand over patients. it is all connected. 0ur over patients. it is all connected. our plan for social care and family care is a central part of our plan

for the future health service. applause and remember, in turn, help and care both are key parts of our plan for the economy. the conservatives broke our economy with their carelessness, liberal democrats will fix our economy with care. applause now, as we make our pitch to people, we need to show such real changes possible. we need to restore hope. when you look at the harm these conservatives have done to people, and dance our country, one of their worst as this. cynicism. when i

speak to people on the doorstep or in my surgeries, i get a very clear impression of this. the idea that nothing can be done, that people in power don't care and won't fix things. a sense of hopelessness. the toxic brew of incompetence, scandal and chaos served up by this government hasn'tjust poisoned people's views of the conservative party but it has poisoned their trust in politics as a whole. frankly, it is the only weapon that conservatives have left, convince people to expect less from government. now, there are two ways to respond to the widespread cynicism they conservatives are meant. 0ne cynicism they conservatives are meant. one way is simply to accept it. that is the path of the labour party, sadly, seem to have chosen, lower your site, give up on changing

things, make your pitch, nothing more than not as bad as the tories. half—heartedly oppose what the conservatives are doing and shrug your shoulders and say, we would pretty much do the same thing. that is one way of responding to the cynicism but it has not liberal democrat way. applause -- it applause —— it is not the liberal democrat way. our —— it is not the liberal democrat way. 0urambition —— it is not the liberal democrat way. our ambition for our country is so much greater than that. our faith in the british people is much stronger than that. our path, the path we have always chosen, the path we walk today is to confront that cynicism head—on to offer people hope. not with yet more platitudes and promises, not by announcing another nebulous mission and that is eagerly forgotten when this beach is over, no, by fighting for big

changes. the changes needed to restore people's trust in politics and rebuild their confidence in our public services. and that starts with political reform. applause liberal democrats have long known that britain's political system is broken. millions of people, powerless and excluded, robbed of their rightful say and unable to hold the powerful to account. and we have always fought to change that. but the conservatives, instead of fixing our broken politics, have shattered it into pieces. their constant attacks on the rule of law and traditional british freedoms, their betrayal of integrity, truth

and honesty, stopping the lords with boris johnson's and honesty, stopping the lords with borisjohnson�*s lackeys, handing out billions in contracts to their cronies, one rule for them, another rule for the rest about. applause —— for the rest of us. and it wasn't just borisjohnson. 0wen paterson, matt hancock, dominic raab, so much sleaze, so many scandals, no wonder people are cynical. cleaning it up is no small task. it will take more than tinker around the edges. we need to transform the nature of british politics itself. to make it more relevant, engaging and responsive to people's needs and they are dreams. to bring together

our great family of nations, instead of caring apart. and yes, at the heart of those reforms must be a fair electoral system. applause proportional representation so everyone's vote counts equally. because we know that the antidote to cynicism is not defeatism, it is empowerment. putting real power in every voter's hands, to elect mps who cannot take them for granted, who cannot take them for granted, who have to listen to their concerns, who must work hard for them. willpower to hold politicians properly to account when they fail to deliver. willpower, demand better

schools and hospitals, affordable housing, and safe communities and a clean, healthy environment. that is why fair votes is such an important part of the fair deal we are fighting for. empowering people at the ballot box is the only way to make the big changes we need for our country. it is the only way to mend our broken politics, restore trust and offer real hope. but when we listen to people, we do get it. it is hard to hope right now. with everything we have been through, years of conservative neglect, the multiple crises we have faced. and with the terrible war still waiting on our continent. it is hard to hope. so i don't blame anyone for feeling cynical. i blame the conservatives for spreading cynicism

but i don't blame anyone for feeling it. but for myself, i am still incredibly optimistic about our future as a country. because everywhere i go, i see the amazing strength, decency and courage of the british people. and because my life has taught me that no matter how tough things get, you can get through them. brighter days can follow even the darkest. that was true for me as a teenager, and i know it is 2a hours country today. —— it is true for a country. better days lie ahead for our country and liberal democrats know what must be done to reach them. mend our broken politics, put real power in people's hands, support people through the full cost of living crisis, save the nhs, fix care and make cancer a top

priority. clean up our rivers and protect our precious environment. build the economy of the future, leading the world and spread prosperity and opportunity to all. this is our vision. these are our priorities. these are the big changes our country needs. so let me be crystal clear. whenever the next election comes, every vote for the liberal democrats will be about to make these changes happen. and every liberal democrat elected to parliament will fight tirelessly to make them happen. that is how we rebuild trust, restore hope and repair our country. so, conference, we have our policies, we have priorities, and very soon we'll have our election. i know you're ready, i have seen you, on the streets of

shropshire, on the doorsteps of devon, i have seen you in your determination, dedication, i get make me so proud to be one of your number. —— and it makes me. ifirmly believe that together we are the strongest campaigning force in british politics. applause we have taken chunks out of the blue wall. we have made it start to crumble. now let's smash it for good. the british people are desperate for hope. the british people are desperate for change. the british people are desperate for a fair deal and british people are desperate for a fair dealand we are british people are desperate for a fair deal and we are ones who can make it happen. let's get to it!

applause ed davey giving his speech at the party conference in bournemouth, a large focus on the nhs, and what he described as mismanagement of the ruling conservative party. let's go to hell in cats, and political correspondence. quite a powerful and smoothly delivered speech. it fidfi correspondence. quite a powerful and smoothly delivered speech.— smoothly delivered speech. it was an interestin: smoothly delivered speech. it was an interesting speech, _ smoothly delivered speech. it was an interesting speech, at _ smoothly delivered speech. it was an interesting speech, at times - interesting speech, at times intensely personal, others very political. large chunks of this beach was spent attacking the conservative party's record on everything from the health service to the economy, to the turmoil between the changeover in prime ministers. he repeatedly said conservative. we got a really intense personal story, and while it

is not uncommon for politicians to do that, to set out a bit of their back history so that voters can perhaps understand a little bit about what motivates them and where they are coming from, i think that was set out in such personal detail, the story of losing both his parents to cancer and his prime kerry for his mother in particular as a teenager. that was particularly personal. the fact he then linked it so specifically to what became the headline policy that has come out of that speech, putting the existing government target of someone being treated within 60 days of referral into law so that there is a legal right so that people can take legal action if it is not fulfilled, so it hits the target which is not been hits the target which is not been hit by 20 —— since 2015. it was a consciously personal part of this beach, some stuff about ed davey that perhaps people didn't know about before. an interesting speech,

about before. an interesting speech, a couple of lib dem great favourites, proportional representation, the attitude to europe which has been a simmering tension at the conference, the sense that some members would like to hear that some members would like to hear that leadership going much further on europe, a sustained round of applause for that when he talked about fixing the broken relationship. i'd interesting speech overall. hal relationship. i'd interesting speech overall. ., ., ., ., overall. not a lot of political ideolo: overall. not a lot of political ideology within _ overall. not a lot of political ideology within it, _ overall. not a lot of political ideology within it, he - overall. not a lot of political. ideology within it, he seemed overall. not a lot of political- ideology within it, he seemed to be suggesting that he would simply do a betterjob of managing britain. yeah, and off a lot of focus on conservatives rather than the driving forces but the lib dems have quite an interesting approach to the next general election. that speech was about setting out what they stood for and what ed davey himself stands for. but their approach for the next election is interesting, they are intending to fight it as

lots of small by—elections by targeting particular seats where they think they can win rather than targeting everyone n and national campaign. perhaps that is a broad theme, the big pledge about the nhs, not so much about the driving ideology. ed davey suggested that his party was most interested in taking seats from the conservatives, the blue wall, at the next election. the liberal democrats _ wall, at the next election. tue: liberal democrats right wall, at the next election. tte: liberal democrats right across the uk, you should all be so proud of what we have achieved together. our campaigns and our victories are changing the future of british politics and turning the tide against the conservatives. we have

shown the next election will not be