Chancellor George Osborne and his Labour shadow Ed Balls clashed today as they set out battle lines for the general election.
Labour unveiled a poster in Harlow that aimed to make NHS patients fear deeper cuts if the Conservatives win.
Above a stark image showing an X-ray of a broken leg, a headline warns: “Next time, they’ll cut to the bone.”
Meanwhile, the Chancellor published a Treasury analysis claiming Labour’s plans would mean extra borrowing equivalent to £4,600 more for every taxpayer. In a speech to small business leaders today, Mr Osborne said such debt would be “a clear and present danger” to the recovery.
Mr Balls said this week’s Budget showed “deeper and more extreme spending cuts” were being planned by Mr Osborne after the election. “The cuts to public services like police, defence and social care under these plans would be so deep they’d be almost impossible to achieve,” he said.
“People will conclude that to make their sums add up the Tories will end up cutting our NHS.”
David Cameron has vowed to protect the NHS budget from cuts.
A YouGov/Sun poll today showed that the Conservatives have had a post-Budget boost to stand two points ahead of Labour at 35 to 33.
