British Conservative leader David Cameron insisted today the Tories were “the party of the NHS” as he claimed that health service spending was safe only with them.
As the Conservative Party published the first chapter of its draft general election manifesto, the Tory leader said Labour would not protect the NHS budget.
His attack on traditional Labour territory came alongside the launch of a national Conservative poster campaign denying Labour allegations of Tory cuts.
The posters featured a large portrait of Mr Cameron, and the words: “We can’t go on like this. I’ll cut the deficit, not the NHS.”
At a Westminster event this morning, the Tory leader stepped up his attack on Prime Minister Gordon Brown. “We cannot go on, we cannot afford, another five years of Gordon Brown,” he said.
In an apparent bid to stymie Labour’s portrayal of the Tories as the party of the rich few, Mr Cameron announced plans to target NHS resources on the poorest areas.
The Tory leader said he would be publishing his draft manifesto, chapter by chapter, over the weeks ahead. The first was on health, because it was his top priority, he added.
“Today, the Conservatives are the party of the NHS,” he said. “But talk is cheap. You’ve got to back that with action, and we have.
“We are the only party committed to protecting NHS spending. It’s there in black and white behind me. I’ll cut the deficit, not the NHS. And don’t for one minute buy the Labour claim that they’ll do the same. They won’t - and their own figures show they won’t.
“Unlike us, they have not committed to protecting areas of the health budget such as public health and capital investment.”
PA