Lib Dem leader Ed Davey pledges two-month cancer treatment guarantee

The Liberal Democrats have proposed a new legal right to get cancer treatment within two months of an urgent referral in England.

The party said in the last year more than 72,000 people waited longer than the NHS target of 62 days.

In his speech at the party's annual conference, leader Sir Ed Davey accused the Tories of letting patients down.

The Lib Dems have made attacking the government's record on the NHS central to their campaigning.

With NHS waiting lists at record highs, the party is hoping to build on its successes in recent by-elections by making further gains in traditional Conservative strongholds in southern England known as the "Blue Wall".

Sir Ed's speech largely focused on domestic issues - including the NHS, the cost-of-living and the environment - with the Lib Dem leader blaming the Conservatives for the country "not working the way it should".

However, he did briefly touch on Brexit, promising to "fix our broken relationship with Europe" and remove trade barriers.

In a highly personal section of the speech, Sir Ed spoke about his own experience of losing both his parents to cancer as a child and caring for his mum while he was still at school.

"My family's story isn't unique: there are millions of us whose lives get turned upside down by cancer," he said.

"Far too many people are still waiting far too long for a diagnosis. Or to start treatment after being diagnosed."

He accused the government of ditching plans for a ten-year cancer plan, describing it as "yet another casualty of all the Conservative chaos".

He said cancer would be "a top priority" for Lib Dem MPs, adding: "We will hold the government to account, for every target it misses and every patient it fails."

The NHS in England already has a target for 85% of people to start cancer treatment within 62 days of an urgent referral.

However, this has not been met since 2015 and figures hit a record low in January. The latest figure for July was 63%.

Under the Lib Dem proposals a two-month guarantee would be written into law, with patients who have to wait longer able to complain to the health ombudsman in the first instance and ultimately take legal action against the government.

The party said it would invest £4bn in NHS cancer treatment over the next five years to deliver the plan - including paying for more staff and radiotherapy machines.

They have not set out how this will be funded, saying details will be in their "fully costed" manifesto ahead of the next general election, which is expected next year.

Ahead of the conference Sir Ed told the BBC rejoining the European Union was currently "off the table", although the party's ultimate goal is to be part of the bloc's single market again.

The party, which in the past was defined by its "Stop Brexit" stance, has been less keen to talk about the EU more recently as it seeks the support of former Tory voters who backed Leave, as well as Remain.

However, some Lib Dems want the party to be bolder on Europe and highlight what they see as the negative impact of Brexit.

In his speech Sir Ed said his party had always been "proud" to champion "fixing our broken relationship with Europe".

"The Conservatives botched the deal with Europe, and it's been a disaster for the UK," he said, prompting applause from the audience.

"Only we have set out a plan to tear down those trade barriers, fix our broken relationship with Europe and get a better deal for Britain."

He added that Labour's plan was "nowhere near that ambitious".