In a speech on Monday, Sir Keir appeared to signal a move towards a Scandinavian-style tax charge to continue funding increases for the NHS.

Asked if his priorities were out of sync with the public mood after a poll suggested most voters would prefer lower taxes over investments in public services, he said : ” No. I think for too long we’ve pretended it’s possible to cut taxes and spend more on public services, but it’s impossible – and it’s time we face it.

“Almost everyone knows the NHS is broken. We’re going to fix it, put it back together and make it something we can be proud of again. But what we’re not going to do is continue the fiction that got us here in the first place – the pretense that you can always cut taxes and your public services will work properly.

“The last 14 years have shown that to be completely wrong, and people voted for change.

“No one wants tax increases, least of all me, so we’re going to work hard in this budget to then allow us to rebuild the country. I can’t guarantee that there will never be another tax adjustment in any budget, because we simply don’t know what lies ahead.”

Helen Morgan, the Liberal Democrats’ health and social care spokeswoman, said: “After years of mismanagement by the Conservatives, the NHS desperately needs support. Millions of people wait in pain and distress for the care they need.

“It is disappointing that the new government is not showing the ambition this country needs to get the NHS back on its feet. If stopping the decline is the best thing they can do, I worry that people will continue to wait too long for treatment. »