You gb news for hosting this you to gb news for hosting this first kind, event. First of its kind, kind event. Now out and about now ive been out and about across the country for the past couple of months, talking to people their people everywhere about their priorities and what were doing to them. And tonight to deliver on them. And tonight i want to do the same thing with all of you. Now now, i know things havent been easy over the past couple of years. We had covid and the impact that had on pubuc covid and the impact that had on Public Services , the backlogs Public Services, the backlogs were seeing and just as we were recovering from that, a war in ukraine that drove up all of yours and everyone elses energy bills. But but even though were not out of the woods yet, at the start of this year, i believe that we have made progress and that we have made progress and that were heading in the right direction now. At the beginning of last year, you may have seen that i set out five priorities. Your priorities that i wanted to focus on and they were to halve inflation, grow the economy, reduce debt, cut waiting lists and stop the boats. Now, of course , theres more work to do course, theres more work to do on all of them, but we are making progress. On all of them, but we are making progress. Inflation on all of them, but we are making progress. Inflation has been more than halved from 11 when i got this job, to around 4. Now the economys outperformed expectations. Debt is on track to fall and because of all of that, weve been able to start cutting taxes as the number of Illegal Migrants crossing the channel is down by a third. Last year. Crossing the channel is down by a third. Last year. And although a third. Last year. And although of course, there are challenges in the nhs, weve eliminated the longest waits. People waiting two years or a year and a half, and that is progress. But as i said, theres more to do and thats what the election this yearis thats what the election this year is about. Thats the choice. Do we stick with this plan . Our plan that is starting to deliver the change that you all want, and the country deserves, or do we go back to square one with keir starmer and the labour party . Now weve just seen in the last week , sukh the absolute the last week, sukh the absolute chaos over the £28 billion decarbonisation policy , that decarbonisation policy, that labour simply dont have a plan. And if you dont have a plan, you cant deliver any change. In contrast, what i want to do is give all of you the peace of mind that comes from knowing that your children can look forward to a Brighter Future and that all of us can have a renewed sense of pride in our country. Thats what i know you country. Thats what i know you want. And if we stick to the plan that is starting to deliver change, thats what i know that i can deliver for all of you. But this is about your questions and whats on your mind. So, stephen, over to you. Yeah. Lets get things going. Thank you, Prime Minister now the rules here are very simple. If you are asking questions tonight , then youve tonight, then once youve stepped microphone , stepped up to the microphone, please name. And if you please say your name. And if you want to, where youre from and what do. So lets have the what you do. So lets have the first question. Good evening, Prime Minister my good evening, Prime Minister my name is david from darlington. My question is very simple. My question is very simple. Since the 2019 election, when the conservative party won an 80 seat majority, do you believe that the conservative party have delivered anything of real substance and value since then . Substance and value since then . Perfect. David well, great to hear from you. I was in darlington earlier today working out of the campus that i set up there when i was chancellor, which is a great example, actually, of levelling and actually, of levelling up. And youre we youre asking, what have we delivered over the past few years . You know, you dont have to further than to look much further than teesside, actually, to see what were delivering people. Were delivering for people. Now. That is an area that had been neglected the labour been neglected by the labour party decades. And you party for decades. And if you look at whats happened over the last years, got a last few years, weve got a great conservative mayor ben great conservative mayor in ben houchen fantastic houchen whos doing a fantastic job. Taken advantage of job. Weve taken advantage of brexit to create a brand new freeport in teesside. And whats a freeport . Its something that a freeport . Its something that we properly inside we couldnt properly do inside the outside of we couldnt properly do inside theweve outside of we couldnt properly do inside theweve created outside of we couldnt properly do inside theweve created them. Tside of we couldnt properly do inside theweve created them. It de of it, weve created them. It attracts businesses with tax incentives and businesses are investing in teesside, creating jobs in the industries of the future. I put the treasury future. I put the treasury campus in darlington. Just think about that for a second. In darlington, right. Forget about not being in london. Thought about putting in the north. Its not in one of the big northern cities, not in manchester, leeds or newcastle. Its in darlington because its places like darlington getting darlington that are now getting the a conservative the focus from a conservative government. You can see it in the Infrastructure Improvements that are happening. Darlington station , the high station being upgraded, the high streets and town centres and stockton and thornaby not so far from here. Spennymoor, all of these places getting record amounts of investment. Blythe amounts of investment. Blythe new railway line. So look those are the changes that are happening. That is the plan. Thatis happening. That is the plan. That is working. And what is it about . Its about spreading opportunity because thats what i care about. Its about making sure that wherever you live in our country, you grow up and our country, you can grow up and know that your dreams be know that your dreams can be realised. You have to move know that your dreams can be realisfrom u have to move know that your dreams can be realisfrom your have to move know that your dreams can be realisfrom your home. E to move know that your dreams can be realisfrom your home. And move know that your dreams can be realisfrom your home. And irove know that your dreams can be realisfrom your home. And i was away from your home. And i was speaking to young people today at that darlington campus who were me about that all were telling me about that all from the north east, up from newcastle, from york, from durham , from teesside, from durham, from teesside, from nonh durham, from teesside, from North Yorkshire , all of them North Yorkshire, all of them working at the heart of government in darlington. All of government in darlington. All of them said to me, this is incredible. I never thought id be able to do this. I didnt want to move down to london. Thats what this conservative government has done for young people as well people across the north, as well as improvements, which people across the north, as well as sure nprovements, which people across the north, as well as sure that vements, which people across the north, as well as sure that people ;, which people across the north, as well as sure that people can1ich people across the north, as well as sure that people can have makes sure that people can have pride place that they pride in the place that they call and pride does come call home and pride does come down to simple things like making high streets making sure your high streets clean is safe, making sure clean and is safe, making sure the your area the transport in your area works, we can youth works, that we can build youth clubs. What that clubs. Thats what all that levelling is doing levelling up money is doing across east. And across the north east. And actually today its just funny. You had the first question. Actually today its just funny. You ind the first question. Actually today its just funny. You in darlingtonquestion. Actually today its just funny. You in darlington inastion. Actually today its just funny. You in darlington in that1. Actually today its just funny. You in darlington in that office was in darlington in that office today. It happening today. You can see it happening around that is the change around you. That is the change that you feel. Talk to that you can feel. Talk to anyone in teesside and they will tell you. And thats what i want to delivering. And if i can to keep delivering. And if i can win election , i can make win another election, i can make sure that keep delivering sure that we can keep delivering that you have that change. All of you can have the peace of mind that your kids can that Brighter Future. Can have that Brighter Future. We sense we can have a renewed sense of pride country. And thats pride in our country. And thats what im fighting for. Okay, Prime Minister thank you much indeed. Okay lets you very much indeed. Okay lets see whos got our next question. Good evening, Prime Minister. Im from london, and im im alex from london, and im a student. As you know, the nhs is a key priority to most voters. A key priority to most voters. And you said recently that you didnt make progress as didnt make as much progress as you to last year. How you wanted to last year. But how can you convince us today that this year were going to see some real, meaningful change in the nhs and well see waiting lists for thank you. So look , lists for thank you. So look, why should you trust me on the nhs . Well, first and foremost, i come from an nhs family, but my dad was a gp, my mum was a pharmacist. I actually grew up working in my mums pharmacy , working in my mums pharmacy, delivering medicines to people who couldnt come in. That was my world. That was my parents world. Those were their patients, that was our community. Saw first hand community. And i saw first hand the incredible impact that primary health care in particular has on peoples lives, the dependency that they have on it. So its really important to me that we support our nhs gps. Now, i dont need to tell you the damage that covid has done to so many things in our country, but particularly its caused backlogs in the nhs. Right . And whoever was Prime Minister, was standing right . And whoever was prime miniztonight was standing right . And whoever was prime miniztonight , was standing right . And whoever was prime miniztonight , there as standing right . And whoever was prime miniztonight , there would|ding right . And whoever was prime miniztonight , there would beig here tonight, there would be backlogs because of here tonight, there would be backlhappened. Because of here tonight, there would be backlhappened. You because of here tonight, there would be backlhappened. You all ause of here tonight, there would be backlhappened. You all know of here tonight, there would be backlhappened. You all know that what happened. You all know that your fair minded people, right . But what we doing about it . But what are we doing about it . Well, were well, first of all, were putting in record amounts of money. Money than the money. So more money than the nhs has ever had. And some of you might say, well, you reasonably might say, well, hang should stop hang on, maybe we should stop focusing the money focusing so much on the money were in and actually were putting in and actually focus as so focus on the reform as well. So were doing more doctors were doing that to more doctors and nurses because no one and more nurses because no one has ever trained enough doctors and nurses for the long terme. But ive done that. Now, look, were the best in the world. I probably will not be around in the 14 years that it takes to train the consultant that were now starting to invest in, but its the right long terme thing to do for our country, which is why ive done it massive why ive done it so massive expansion in the number of doctors nurses. Were doctors and nurses. Were training ever, training here first ever, long time plan in time workforce plan so that in the future were less reliant on people from people having to come from abroad. And were doing lots of abroad. And were doing lots of new things. Right. I could bore new things. Right. I could bore you death with all the you to death with all the innovations Surgical Innovations elective surgical hubs, Community Diagnostic Centres so you dont have to go to the big hospital to get your elective surgery your or elective surgery or your mri or ct scan. All of these things speed things up. Discharge hubs speed things up. Discharge hubs in , connecting up in hospitals, connecting up social care with the hospital so people can get home back to their communities quickly. Speeds up times in a e and ambulances. Use of the ambulances. Use of the independent sector. So all of you now if you and your families get referred by your gp for elective treatment , you can go elective treatment, you can go on your app or talk to your gp and choose where to have your treatment and that choice giving you the power to choose where you the power to choose where you want to go. Speed things up improves competition and quality and thats also helping. But look, we havent made enough progress in spite of all those things ive told you about, which is a lot. The nhs is doing more than its ever done before. We havent made enough of a dent in the waiting list. Weve in the waiting list. Now weve practically the practically eliminated the number of people waiting the longest two years, one and a half years. Overall the half years. But overall the waiting list has largely risen over the year. The good over the past year. The good news is , though, we saw that it news is, though, we saw that it started to fall because we didnt have strikes for a period at the last year, and at the end of last year, and that has been a real challenge. And ill just be honest with you about november, about that. But in november, first we had first month, where we had absolute no strikes in the nhs, do you know what the waiting list by . 100,000. Biggest list fell by . 100,000. Biggest one month fall in the waiting list in well over a decade outside of covid. So that gives me the confidence that our plans can work and will work. And the industrial action is something we to work through, and we need to work through, and were continue to have were going to continue to have those conversations with the doctors, we can doctors, and im sure we can talk that later. But if we talk about that later. But if we stick the plan, im confident stick to the plan, im confident that we can bring down. Weve that we can bring it down. Weve got a sense that was got a sense that that was possible end of last year possible at the end of last year without and because without strikes, and because of all things ive told all those things that ive told you i know that it will you about, i know that it will just get better over time. If we can get the strikes behind us. Prime minister, thank okay. Prime minister, thank you. Talking long terms plans, though, it, though, is difficult, isnt it, in this . Doesnt in all of this . It doesnt bring you results, is you immediate results, which is often for politicians. Often a problem for politicians. We do to in the long we do need to think in the long terme. Okay lets have our next question, please. Hi rishi, its keith edinburgh. Keith from edinburgh. My question is about social care. Social care is chronically care. Social care is chronically underfunded and government has abdicated responsibility to local government, effectively making it a Postcode Lottery for many. Do you agree that it needs radical reform and if so, what . So social care is something thatis so social care is something that is a particular challenge for councils. And youre right. If you talk to most local council leaders, theyll talk to you about the challenges in social care. I think you all know weve got ageing know weve got an ageing population pressure know weve got an ageing popand on pressure know weve got an ageing popand thats pressure know weve got an ageing popand thats why pressure know weve got an ageing popand thats why justassure know weve got an ageing popand thats why just the re on. And thats why just the other announced an other week, we announced an extra £600 million for local government across the country, and it will mean that on average, this coming financial yean average, this coming financial year, councils will have about 7. 5 more money to invest in local Services Like social care than they did last year. So that gives you a sense of the scale and of that extra money that weve put in the bulk of it is ring fenced specifically for social care , because thats social care, because thats where the challenge is. Now. Where the challenge is. Now. I dont have an overnight fix to the challenges in social care. Of course, i dont. But i do of course, i dont. But i do know that if we improve, how social care works with hospitals , as i was talking about, it will make a difference because thats where there isnt enough join up. And thats why were , join up. And thats why were, as i said, working hard and it wont happen overnight because the nhs is a big system and social care obviously is spread across the country. Lots of individual local authorities, but by bit were joining but bit by bit were joining those things up closer together. And how i think we will and thats how i think we will bnng and thats how i think we will bring real improvements to bear, because of course its important, right . I believe in a country where you work hard, country where if you work hard, all you have all your life, you should have dignity in retirement and social care is part of that contract. We have with our grandparents and those who have come before us. So its important that we get it right. I cant promise you its going to fix overnight, but i can tell you weve just put a lot of extra cash in to help councils with some of that pressure going into next year. Okay. Minister, thank okay. Prime minister, thank you. Of you be you. I know a lot of you be wanting get in touch with us wanting to get in touch with us about that one. Its such a difficult which faced difficult issue which has faced so many governments. But do we ever get answer where ever seem to get an answer where we see any we can really see any significant difference within a short at least let us short timescale, at least let us know what you about