Fury over Labour's election campaign poster on NHS

LABOUR chiefs were last night accused of breaking a promise not to use negative election campaign techniques after issuing a shocking picture of a fractured leg.

Ed Balls Andy Burnham with Labour's posterPA

Shadow Chancellor Ed Balls Andy Burnham with Labour's poster

An angry row erupted over the X-ray image of a broken bone used to illustrate a warning about Tory plans for the NHS.

The poster was headlined: “Next time, they’ll cut to the bone. The NHS can’t afford the Tory cuts plan.”

The Tories claimed the stark image conflicted with promises made by Ed Miliband and other senior Labour figures that the party would avoid using “fear” during the campaign for the general election in May.

A Tory source said: “Ed Miliband said he’d support the NHS, but then he started a disgusting campaign to ‘weaponise’ it.

“He’s said he will set out a positive plan for the country, but he’s campaigning on fear and smear.”

The Tories pointed out that Mr Miliband claimed two years ago that “fear and smear won’t work”.

“The next election is far too important to be conducted in the gutter. Britain can do better,” he said.

And Labour election campaign supremo Douglas Alexander said earlier this year: “Our focus will not be on negative billboards but on taking a positive message of hope to the British people.”

Ed Miliband said he’d support the NHS, but then he started a disgusting campaign to ‘weaponise’ it

Tory source

David Cameron yesterday insisted that his Government had increased and not cut NHS spending.

Speaking at an EU summit in Brussels, he said: “We’ve had to make very difficult decisions, with policing budgets and local authority budgets. But when faced with those choices we absolutely stuck to our determination to increase the budget of the NHS.”

Mr Cameron pointed out that the Labour-run administration in Wales had cut NHS spending.

Labour aides insisted the party’s commitment was to avoid “personal” attacks during the campaign. But the party had a duty to highlight failures of Tory policy.

Unveiling the poster yesterday, shadow health secretary Andy Burnham said: “The Tories are completely silent on the NHS.

“They had nothing to offer it in the Budget and are desperate not to talk about it during the election campaign.

“The Office for Budget Responsibility has predicted a rollercoaster ride for public services in the next Parliament under these Budget plans.

“The trouble is, the NHS is in no fit state to go on a white-knuckle ride.”

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