The Tories attacked Jeremy Corbyn for announcing a policy Theresa May campaigned for – Mirror.co.uk

Theresa May campaigned to end hospital car parking fees - despite attacking Labour for announcing the same policy today.

Labour promised today to make car parking free at NHS hospitals in England, for patients, visitors and staff.

But a Conservative spokesman attacked the plan, saying the pledge was not worth the paper it was printed on.

The Tory leader said she was strongly opposed to the introduction of parking charges at St Marks Hospital, in her Maidenhead constituency.

She promised to continue to work towards the abolition of these unhelpful charges.

That was in November 2008. The Hospital still charges 1 for up to two hours, 2 for two to four hours and 10 after that.

Jeremy Corbyn said: Theresa May wont support our plan to end hospital parking fees, unless its in her back yard.

Jeremy Corbyn used a statement this morning to announce the major policy would feature in the party's general election manifesto.

It would be funded by increasing the rate of insurance premium tax on private healthcare products by more than half, from 12% to 20%.

The pledge comes after years of campaigns against parking charges and a Mirror investigation that showed they raked in 160million in one year.

The Unison union says some nurses on low wages are paying 100 a month and having to rush out mid-shift to top up their tickets.

Mr Corbyn said the charges "place an unfair and unnecessary burden on families, patients and NHS staff."

Speaking on a visit to nursing students in Tory-held Worcester, he was due to say: "Hospital parking charges are a tax on serious illnesses.

"Our hospitals are struggling from under-funding at the hands of Theresa Mays Conservative government.

"But the gap should not be filled by charging sick patients, anxious relatives and already hard-pressed NHS staff for an essential service.

Our NHS needs a Labour government that will stand up for the many, not the few.

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The Tories attacked Jeremy Corbyn for announcing a policy Theresa May campaigned for - Mirror.co.uk