Miliband expected to pledge a mansion tax to pay for increased NHS spending

Rumours are flying around Conference this evening that Ed Miliband will tomorrow pledge a mansion tax to pay for an increase in NHS spending.

It is now believed to be the major policy announcement of Miliband’s Conference speech. Reports are emerging that Labour will put a tax on homes worth over £2million in order to improve public services in health and social care.

The NHS had been widely understood to be the major topic of this week’s Conference, although has not featured highly so far – so a secret big announcement in the leader’s speech would make a lot of sense. It is believed that the tax could raise as much as £1.2billion – and with the health service facing a huge funding gap under the Tories, earmarking that revenue to save the NHS could prove very popular. Voters say that, of the three biggest issues facing the country, the NHS is the only one that they trust Labour most on. May believe that if Labour can make the state of the NHS the defining issue of the next election, it will increase the chances of victory.

The policy would also be a message to Labour supporters that Miliband is listening to their concerns – in a LabourList survey last week, 52% said they would like to see Miliband make the NHS the focal point of his speech.