Summary

  • Keir Starmer defends his actions to tackle child sexual abuse by grooming gangs, as he takes questions after a speech on the NHS - watch live above

  • He said those "spreading lies and misinformation" on the issue were not interested in victims or justice, after attacks by Elon Musk

  • Analysis: This was perhaps the most impassioned Starmer has been as prime minister, writes our correspondent Henry Zeffman

  • The PM also outlined details of a plan to cut the amount of time people in England spend on NHS waiting lists for elective treatments

  • The government has pledged to cut the list of patients waiting more than 18 weeks for NHS treatment in England by nearly half a million over the next year

  • Doctors have welcomed the plan but some are sceptical about whether it can be delivered, while the Conservatives say "patients cannot wait for more dither and delay from the government who promised so much, and so far have delivered so little"

PM criticises those "spreading lies and misinformation" over grooming gangs

Live Reporting

Edited by Marita Moloney and Sam Hancock

  1. Analysis

    Musk looms large over UK politics as MPs return for 2025

    Chris Mason
    Political editor

    The new year in politics starts with the bang of a billionaire with a bigger mouth than his bank balance.

    Elon Musk has been sounding off in the strongest possible terms about the prime minister for almost as long as Sir Keir Starmer has been in Downing Street.

    In recent days, the focus has been on child sexual exploitation and Musk's allegation that the prime minister was "complicit in the rape of Britain" when he was Director of Public Prosecutions by failing to deal with the scandal.

    I'm told Starmer "will not want to get into a food fight with Musk" but will make a robust defence of his time as chief prosecutor.

    He is also keen to emphasise the importance of political debate being grounded in verifiable facts and that Musk is making claims that are "blatantly untrue" as one source put it.

    The Conservatives, Reform and Elon Musk have each expressed varying degrees of outrage in recent days that the government has said no to a public inquiry into the scandal.

    Read more of Chris Mason's analysis here

  2. Analysis

    Government's target is a big ask

    Nick Triggle
    Health Correspondent

    Much of this plan is about building on work that is already under way – opening more surgical and diagnostic hubs, making patient choice easier and reducing unnecessary appointments.

    The aim is two-fold, to increase capacity and making the existing resources go further.

    It would be a surprise if waiting lists did not start to fall in the coming months – most forecasts have pinpointed spring 2025 as the potential turning point.

    But the ultimate goal of getting the NHS back to hitting the 18-week target by the end of this Parliament still remains a big ask.

    The Blair government made big strides in the early 2000s, but that was underpinned by significant increases in the NHS budget – between 6-7% a year on top of inflation. Increases on that scale seem very unlikely given the state of public finances.

    Another concern, being voiced by some within the health service, is that with so much emphasis placed on waiting lists there is a risk that other areas, such as general practice, may end up neglected as health chiefs focus so much of their attention on this.

  3. What are the proposed NHS reforms?

    Hugh Pym
    Health editor

    An NHS staff member in blue overalls walking through a hospital corridor with her back facing the cameraPA Media

    The government has unveiled a new pledge to cut the list of patients waiting more than 18 weeks for NHS treatment in England by nearly half a million over the next year.

    Here's how they plan to do that:

    • A network of Community Diagnostic Centres, which provide appointments such as scans and endoscopies in local neighbourhoods, will extend their opening hours to 12 hours a day, seven days a week
    • The aim is to get patients treated more quickly, closer to home and without relying on hospitals. Officials say these centres will provide up to half a million extra appointments each year
    • GPs will also be able, where appropriate, to refer patients directly to these centres without requiring a prior consultation with a specialist doctor
    • More surgical hubs will be created to focus on common, less complex procedures, such as cataract surgeries and some orthopaedic work
    • The new plan says that one million unnecessary appointments per year will be freed up for patients who need them - this will be made possible by abolishing automatic review appointments after treatment and only offering them to patients who request them

  4. New year, new government announcements

    Sam Hancock
    Live page editor

    In the next 15 minutes or so, we're due to hear Keir Starmer outline plans to cut NHS waiting lists in England by half a million over the next year.

    The prime minister is expected to explain how he'll expand local access to community diagnostic centres, which offer tests, scans and X-rays, for 12 hours a day, seven days a week. He'll say this can create nearly half a million more appointments a year.

    But the main doctors' union, the British Medical Association, says there are not enough staff to make the plans work.

    After his speech, the PM will take questions from the press, where it's thought he'll face a grilling over calls that have come in for a new inquiry into grooming gangs in Rochdale and Oldham. There was some commentary on this over the weekend, including from X owner and the world's richest man Elon Musk, who criticised Starmer for failing to prosecute gangs during his previous life as director of public prosecutions.

    We'll bring you the speech live - and you'll be able to tune in by tapping the Watch live button at the top of this page. Stay with us.