Boris Johnson has said he is “absolutely not” worried about Rishi Sunak’s loyalty as chancellor as they made a joint appearance to announce two new targets for reducing cancer waiting times after the pandemic. The prime minister said nobody would have to wait for more than two months for a cancer diagnosis and they wanted the “vast majority” of people to get a diagnosis within 28 days. After the Treasury delayed publication of the plan to reduce the post-pandemic backlog, the prime minister made a joint visit with Sunak to a cancer centre in Kent to announce the targets related to cancer, but not the wider plan for reducing waiting times for operations. The numbers of cancer patients facing delays in seeing a specialist for the first time and starting their treatment have hit record highs in England, amid fears that overstretched NHS services can no longer provide prompt care. The elective care plan to deal with 6 million delays is now likely to be revealed later in the week, amid rows about how stretching the targets should be and what they might cost to address. The disagreement centres on the deadline by which NHS trusts will have to have treated all those who have been waiting either one year or two years for care, usually an operation. “Conversations about the targets have become protracted and difficult. The Treasury wants a certain scale of ambition, they want tougher targets than NHS England thinks is feasible,” said an NHS source. Tensions between Johnson and Sunak have arisen over the No 10 parties, with the chancellor giving only lukewarm support to the prime minister. Sunak also distanced himself from Johnson over the prime minister’s slur against the Labour leader, Keir Starmer, falsely linking him to a failure to prosecute serial child sex abuser Jimmy Savile.
Tory MPs said Sunak is on manoeuvres, drumming up support for a potential leadership bid – in common with many other cabinet minister including Liz Truss and Michael Gove, even though he denies wanting to run. But speaking to broadcasters at the Kent oncology centre at Maidstone hospital, Johnson said: “Everybody in No 10 and the Treasury are working together in harmony to deal with the big problems that the country faces and clearing the Covid backlogs.” After weeks of turmoil in No 10 over the parties during lockdown, which are now under police investigation, Johnson claimed people wanted the government to focus on life “beyond Westminster”. His premiership is still under threat, but the prime minister attempted to steady his operation by making new appointments over the weekend. Asked if he has had to reassure new Downing Street staff that their jobs have good long-term prospects, Johnson told broadcasters: “I think what people want is for the government to focus, not on stuff going on at Westminster, but to focus on life ... beyond Westminster, and to focus on the needs of the country. And that is what we’re doing.”