Leaders clash over health

Tony Blair today rejected a call by Michael Howard to withdraw Labour posters and leaflets attacking Tory health policies.

Mr Howard angrily demanded that the Prime Minister take back the claim that the Conservatives would impose charges for the NHS.

But Mr Blair insisted the plans to subsidise private-sector treatment would create "two classes of NHS patient", with faster treatment available only to those who could afford to pay.

He also warned voters not to pay attention to opinion polls pointing to another big Labour majority, saying that "the surest way of losing support is thinking it is over".

He spoke as he highlighted Labour plans to improve child health by giving all pupils access to a school nurse, cutting fatty and salty foods from school meals, introducing clearer food labelling, restricting advertising of unhealthy food to children and expanding sports at school.

The Tory proposals would take at least £1.2 billion out of the NHS to fund part of the costs of patients who choose to go private, said Mr Blair. He added: "That NHS money would be given in vouchers for private treatment. To cash in the vouchers, you would need to be able to afford the charge for the rest of the cost of the hospital operation. That is the reality of the Conservative policy.

"Mr Howard has asked us to withdraw the allegation. We will not. It is his policy, not ours, and if he is embarrassed by it, it is up to him to withdraw the policy."

Mr Howard told a press conference: "Mr Blair started this campaign by lying about our spending plans. Now he's resorting to false claims about our plans for hospitals. But last night he was forced to admit that his claims about our hospital policy are false, too.

"So this morning I challenged Mr Blair to withdraw every poster, every leaflet and every piece of campaign literature which has that second Labour lie on it."