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| General election: McDonnell questions truth of Trump's NHS claim - live news | |
| (32 minutes later) | |
| Shadow chancellor also says Labour will lay out ‘first 100 days’ programme in Birmingham speech as Nato leaders meet | |
| Here is the full text of the John McDonnell speech. | |
| McDonnell says he thinks that, just as the Attlee government is remembered for founding the NHS, the Corbyn government will be remembered for setting up a national education service. | |
| Education is not a commodity, he says. It is a gift from one generation to another. The national education service will transform lives, he says. | |
| He says the number of young people involved in Labour’s campaign is terrific. He says he thinks people will be surprised by how many young people turn out to vote next week. | |
| Young people have forced the climate crisis onto the agenda, he says. This is a make-or-break moment for the world. | |
| And that’s it. The Q&A is over. | |
| I will post a summary soon. | |
| Q: Why were you not more explicit about the Waspi women pledge in the manifesto? | |
| McDonnell says he was working on this for 18 months. He was worried if it got announced on manifesto day, it would be swamped by other issues. And he says he wanted the policy to be launched on a day when Labour could also launch its calculator, to show how much women might get. That took a lot of work, he says. | |
| He says the money will be paid over five years. If the government had lost the court case on this, it would have to have paid up anyway. | |
| He says this is a lot of money. But £100bn has been given away to the rich in tax cuts, he says. And he says when the banks were in trouble, hundreds of billions were found to bail them out. | |
| He says he wanted a scheme that was straightforward and readily implementable. He is proud of it, he says. | |
| McDonnell says Labour will reintroduce sectoral collective bargaining for wages. That will lead to wages going up, he says. | |
| Q: Do you support the RMT holding a 27-day rail strike? | Q: Do you support the RMT holding a 27-day rail strike? |
| McDonnell says he hopes both sides will get around the table to negotiate. He says the union is trying to address safety issues. | McDonnell says he hopes both sides will get around the table to negotiate. He says the union is trying to address safety issues. |
| Q: Are you worried about leave supporters not backing Labour? And what has happened to prominent remainers like Keir Starmer, who are not being put up by the party for interviews? | |
| McDonnell says people like Starmer are campaigning all over the country. | McDonnell says people like Starmer are campaigning all over the country. |
| On Brexit, he says Labour would let the people decide. | On Brexit, he says Labour would let the people decide. |
| But he says this election is not just about Brexit. People are asking about other issues, he says. | But he says this election is not just about Brexit. People are asking about other issues, he says. |
| Q: You said you will release details of how you will fund your plans in the next few days. Isn’t that too late? | Q: You said you will release details of how you will fund your plans in the next few days. Isn’t that too late? |
| McDonnell says the questioner misunderstood the point he was making earlier. (See 11.30am.) He says what he was referring to were announcements about what would happen in the first 100 days of a Corbyn government. | McDonnell says the questioner misunderstood the point he was making earlier. (See 11.30am.) He says what he was referring to were announcements about what would happen in the first 100 days of a Corbyn government. |
| The party will also announce details of its first Queen’s speech, and some details of its first budget, he says. | |
| Q: Isn’t the idea that Labour can save families £6,700 a year make-believe? | |
| McDonnell says Labour’s plans are costed. | McDonnell says Labour’s plans are costed. |
| And they have been tested, he says. In the party he has a reputation as a bureaucrat who insists on detail. He says Labour’s plans are credible. | |
| But the party also has an ambitious programme, he says. | But the party also has an ambitious programme, he says. |
| He says he wants to ensure there is never another programme like the Dispatches documentary. (See 11.14am.) | He says he wants to ensure there is never another programme like the Dispatches documentary. (See 11.14am.) |
| Q: Your manifesto largely protects middle-earners. Is that right? | Q: Your manifesto largely protects middle-earners. Is that right? |
| McDonnell says he wants a fair tax system. | McDonnell says he wants a fair tax system. |
| At the last election he was accused of having a magic money tree. | At the last election he was accused of having a magic money tree. |
| Now the Tories have a magic money forest. | Now the Tories have a magic money forest. |
| If there is a magic money tree, it is in the Cayman Islands. He says Labour will dig it up and bring it back to the UK. | If there is a magic money tree, it is in the Cayman Islands. He says Labour will dig it up and bring it back to the UK. |
| Q: Donald Trump says he can work with Jeremy Corbyn. Is that encouraging? | Q: Donald Trump says he can work with Jeremy Corbyn. Is that encouraging? |
| McDonnell says Labour will work well with whoever is in the White House – after the next presidential election, he jokes. | |
| He then says the party was encouraged by what Trump said yesterday about Corbyn. | He then says the party was encouraged by what Trump said yesterday about Corbyn. |
| John McDonnell is now taking questions. | John McDonnell is now taking questions. |
| Q: Is President Trump lying when he says the NHS is not on the table in UK-US trade talks? | Q: Is President Trump lying when he says the NHS is not on the table in UK-US trade talks? |
| McDonnell says all the evidence suggests it is on the table. | McDonnell says all the evidence suggests it is on the table. |
| McDonnell says he will say more about how Labour would implement change before polling day. | McDonnell says he will say more about how Labour would implement change before polling day. |
| McDonnell says Labour policies could save families more than £7,000 a year if someone needs personal care. | McDonnell says Labour policies could save families more than £7,000 a year if someone needs personal care. |
| Ask our experts a question | Ask our experts a question |
| As part of our election coverage you can ask our political team any questions you have about the general election, and they will post their responses on the politics live blog between 12.30pm and 1.30pm every Monday, Wednesday and Friday until polling week. | As part of our election coverage you can ask our political team any questions you have about the general election, and they will post their responses on the politics live blog between 12.30pm and 1.30pm every Monday, Wednesday and Friday until polling week. |
| Today, Libby Brooks, the Guardian’s Scotland correspondent, will answer your questions about the SNP manifesto. You can ask your question via our form here. | Today, Libby Brooks, the Guardian’s Scotland correspondent, will answer your questions about the SNP manifesto. You can ask your question via our form here. |
| McDonnell dismisses claims that providing services for free is unrealistic. | McDonnell dismisses claims that providing services for free is unrealistic. |
| McDonnell summarises some of the Labour measures that would lift living standards. | McDonnell summarises some of the Labour measures that would lift living standards. |
| McDonnell says many people have had problems with the cost of living over the last decade. Stagnant wages have not affected just a few people; a majority of people have lost out, he says. | McDonnell says many people have had problems with the cost of living over the last decade. Stagnant wages have not affected just a few people; a majority of people have lost out, he says. |
| He claims families have lost almost £6,000 a year as a result of Tory policies. | He claims families have lost almost £6,000 a year as a result of Tory policies. |