Boris Johnson's NHS demands are unlikely to be acted on
The Foreign Secretary is aiming to fulfil his Brexit bus promise by urging Theresa May to push more cash towards hospitals.
Tuesday 23 January 2018 08:45, UK
Boris Johnson has form for making headlines about NHS funding.
His Brexit battle bus emblazoned with the promise of £350m a week for the health service was a defining image of the EU referendum.
So why is the Foreign Secretary marching into health spending now?
Well, he's keen to show his critics he hasn't broken the bus promise.
But he's also reacting to a deepening concern that Theresa May has taken her eye off the NHS.
As Labour gain ground on the issue, some Tories are worried the party is neglecting one of the things voters care most about.
And at this time of the year, with the health service in the grip of the winter crisis, the debate is deepening further.
Downing Street insists the NHS was its number one priority in last year's Budget, with the Chancellor awarding an extra £2.8bn.
But there is a feeling the Prime Minister could be doing more.
There was anger last week when she rejected calls for a cross-party commission to look at the future of the NHS.
And Mrs May's own MPs have recently attacked her "timidity and lack of ambition", with one criticising her as "dull, dull, dull".
If Mr Johnson does make these demands for extra NHS spending, they're unlikely to be acted upon - there simply isn't the money available.
Some in Cabinet may well support him, but his move could also be criticised as a gratuitous grandstanding from a potential successor to Mrs May.
But it does show how, once again, NHS finances are leading the current political debate.