Former Chancellor Kwasi Kwarteng said he ‘can categorically state’ that he and Liz Truss ruled out reducing cancer treatment, saying it would have been ‘morally wrong’.
Speaking on GB News Kwasi Kwarteng said:
“We did look at savings, we did look at expenditure, but we did not look at the treatment of cancer.
“We looked at general capital projects, transport projects, I think the Prime Minister was very keen on general government. This happened under Boris. We looked at the civil service numbers and things like that.
“It’s not that I don't remember, I can categorically state we never talked about reducing cancer treatment. Why would I? I mean, it would have been absurd, politically, to have done that anyway.
“I was very careful in my wording. I said I didn't have any of those conversations. But if those conversations took place in other bits of the government, I wasn't privy to them.
“I didn't know about that. That's what I'm saying.
“I am surprised that [Seldon] made that claim, and also it wasn't sourced. The Special Advisor they quoted said we were looking at expenditure cuts. I don't think he said that we were specifically looking at reducing cancer treatment, which would have been an outrage.
“It would have been morally wrong and politically stupid.
“I’ve said I didn't have those conversations, and that's all I can say. I can only speak for myself. I didn't rule out the conversations in the wider government, but I'd be very surprised if those conversations took place.”
