Theresa May refuses to admit u-turn on Tory social care plans

Theresa May has defiantly refused to admit to a social care u-turn and blamed Labour "scaremongering" for her change in policy.

In a General Election TV interview, the Prime Minister claimed: "Nothing has changed from the principles on social care policy that we set out in our manifesto."

She told interviewer Andrew Neil on BBC TV: "What I've done today is I've seen the scaremongering, frankly, that we've seen over the weekend.

"I've seen the way that Jeremy Corbyn wants to sneak into Number 10 by playing on the fears of older and vulnerable people, and I've clarified what we will be putting in the green paper which I set out in the manifesto."

The Prime Minister denied that she had rewritten the Conservative manifesto. Her aim was to have long-term sustainability in social care, she said.

"I'm not going to bury my head in the sand, I'm not going to play politics with it, which is what Jeremy Corbyn is doing," she said.

"What we are doing is ensuring people will not have to sell their house during their lifetime.

"They won't have to worry about those monthly bills for their care. They'll be able to protect more money than they have been before."

:: Theresa May visibly rattled in the spotlight of sharp questions over u-turn

During the interview, the Prime Minister pledged an extra £10bn on buildings and technology for the NHS if the Conservatives win the election on 8 June, on top of £8bn for day-to-day running costs.

She was asked: "The manifesto pledges, quote, 'the most ambitious programme on investment and buildings and technology the NHS has ever seen'. Is that part of the £8 billion?"

She replied: "No, that's a separate, because it's the money that you… spend on buildings and capital is separate from the money you spend on the day-to-day running costs. So that money will be following."

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Asked about the Tories' shrinking lead in the opinion polls, the Prime Minister said: "There's only one poll that counts in any election campaign.

"That's the one that takes place on June 8 when people have actually cast their votes, when they have made that choice, which is a crucial choice.

"I think this genuinely is the most crucial election I have seen in my lifetime because it is about getting Brexit negotiations right, getting the right deal for Britain from Europe and going beyond that, a plan for a stronger
vision for the future."

She added: "I have never taken anything for granted in this election."