The Staggers

The New Statesman’s rolling politics blog

Labour goes on the attack with new Cameron poster

New poster mocks Tory election line, stating: "I'm cutting the NHS. Not the deficit."

By George Eaton Published 05 October 2012 15:05

With the Tories preparing to gather in Birmingham, the Labour attack machine has sprung into life with the launch of a new poster and a borrowing counter. Following her Q&A with Andy Burnham earlier this week, my colleague Caroline Crampton revealed that Labour was planning a parody of the famous "airbrushed" image of Cameron - and here it is.

The line "I'm cutting the NHS" is based on Treasury figures showing that since 2010, health spending has fallen from £105,073 million to £104,333 million in real terms, while the line "not the deficit" is based on the most recent borrowing figures from the ONS, which showed that borrowing so far this financial year was 21.8% (£10.6bn) higher than in the same period last year.

Labour states:

This means that in the first five months of the year the UK was borrowing:

o £69.3 million more a day
o £2.9 million more an hour
o £48,112 more a minute
o £802 more a second

In response, we can expect the Tories to point out that they have reduced the deficit by a quarter since coming to office (from £159bn in 2009-10 to £119.3bn in 2011-12), while arguing that the NHS figures are merely the result of an underspend, not a deliberate decision to cut.

But while George Osborne may have a good story to tell on the deficit at the moment (polling found that voters were more inclined to support the coalition's austerity measures when told that annual borrowing had fallen by a quarter), the disappearance of growth means that this trend will not continue. Forecasters expect the government to miss its deficit target for this year (£119.9bn) by as much as £30bn. For the first time since Osborne entered No. 11, borrowing is set rise in annual terms, a significant blow to his political narrative of "balancing the books". By 2015, the Tories hope, the situation will have improved, but for now, this is a powerful attack line for Labour.

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Tags: Labour David Cameron NHS Spending Cuts

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22 comments

Sun, 2012-10-07 16:27 — #geootrwonick[UDUDYYJJDDIY] (not verified)

very good!

Sat, 2012-10-06 20:38 — Eddy S (not verified)

this is bizarre, we are simply highlighting the fact that the tories are comitted to spend more on the NHS than us. In fact this is necessary and have explained the good reasons why, that is by ring fencing the NHS the tories will need to cut other budgets further so to share the burden we need to make more savings on the NHS budget.

Sat, 2012-10-06 20:20 — em1232 (not verified)

.osborne said in a 2008 speech that he was going to eliminate the 'current budget' and lower the debt, and the tories in their manifesto said that they would eliminate the bulk of the structural deficit by 2015. the current budget is now the highest in history. it has increased since they gained power, not fallen. they've realised that it is impossible for them to cut the current budget, so they have given up and are instead cutting the investment budget and hoping that no one notices. cutting needed investment isn't what they said they would do. it's not part of the structural / current budget. the more they cut investment the more they will stifle growth and the more they will raise the burden of debt. the tories have not shrunk the state. it's bigger than ever. it's just that now your money goes to atos and a4e and others more than ever and gets dumped offshore and never seen in the economy again, whereas at least before it would be paid to the public.

Sat, 2012-10-06 18:29 — Indu Pendent

Labour borrowed £600bn!!!!

Labour policy was to spend £250Bn more than the coalition over the first term in office i.e. Labour 'borrowing to reduce the borrowing'. That was before the Balls and Bandwagon U turn to adopt Plan A.

An absolute fact that can not be hidden from is that the coalition have tightened and shrank the state. Its exactly what most people wanted. People still do not trust Labour to keep a grip on spending -- they know that should Labour win power it would be all snouts in the trough.

Sat, 2012-10-06 22:00 — matthew fox (not verified)

Indu come on defend the much vaunted Plan A. Didn't Osborne promise to eliminate deficits by 2015?

What most people wanted? Osborne has shrunk the GDP, increased the trade deficit.

Why have the makers stopped marching Indu?

Sun, 2012-10-07 10:10 — Indu Pendent

Matt

Like Blanchflower says, state employment is down total whilst employment is up -- impressive stuff. This trend is continuing and gaining pace. The unions are making pro-coaltion noises by complaining about the rate at which the state is being shrunk.

I hear from Labour insiders they are worried about this and are steering away from discussing it -- a bit mistake because it is just what people voted the coalition from and will be a strong news for the election.

People still blame Labour for the mess they left the economy in. The deficit has been reduced by the coalition: people believe that Labour will increase the deficit.

Sun, 2012-10-07 14:57 — matthew fox (not verified)

You hear, so do I Indu, that what ears are for. I know you don't think, I only have to look at your rants.

Part time employment is a record high Inastew, the consequence of a part time chancellor.

If the country is awash with employment, why were income tax receipts down 1.1% in Aug 12?

Wasn't Plan A suppose to eliminate deficits by 2015?

I wonder that borrowing Osborne has in the pipeline post 2015, I know you don't want to talk about that do you Inastew.

Sat, 2012-10-06 18:23 — Hugh C Markey (not verified)

The colour of the ink is important but 'red' would be too obviously Labour/Socialist/Marxist/Communist.
Suggest purple denoting the bruised handling Conservatives have given the NHS.
Incidentally, there's plenty of room in virtual space.
Again, an aged Cameron would suggest photo-shop skullduggery whilst the air-brushed slick image of the young true-blue in the original is spot on.

Artist's Model

Sat, 2012-10-06 18:23 — Hugh C Markey (not verified)

Artist's Model

Sat, 2012-10-06 18:13 — Hugh C Markey (not verified)

Keyhole surgery?

Bedside Moider

Sat, 2012-10-06 13:41 — DonB

Cameron has a long way to go before he catches up with Brown...the man who stole the pension funds and sold our gold for a song.

Sat, 2012-10-06 12:46 — Amergin

Posters are one thing but focus now on Nov 15th, Corby et al. We know we should win it but rather that be complacent we should be out on the streets knocking on doors and inviting people to give the coalition a kick up the arras by voting in overwhelming numbers and let our shouts of protest show them that we do damn well care and we want change and we want it now.
On an entirely different tack.
Ed Milliband could sink Cameron without trace with one simple move. Declare the party is committed to continuing membership of the EU or would even consider a side step into EFTA and declare we will have a referendum. a promise signed in blood. Show it is about honesty , honoured promises and democracy.
Make the announcement just before cameron gets up tp speak at his conference.

Sat, 2012-10-06 19:50 — Bolshie Dave (not verified)

Agreed 100% I would love this spike UKIP as well

Sat, 2012-10-06 12:28 — A Realist (not verified)

This poster works well as it is factually true.

Sat, 2012-10-06 07:24 — Magpie's View (not verified)

The claim that it was the cuts that reduced the deficit conveniently overlooks the fact that the tax take increased significantly due to several people paying early to avoid the increase in the top rate of tax.

Fri, 2012-10-05 20:46 — gedon (not verified)

This is just the start. Labour have so much ammunition up their sleeves.
The Tories are only just back in, but their PM is the biggest toff ever and is crucifying the poor, the disabled etc, in the name of the deficit.
If Labour don't get a majority come 2015, I will eat my ballot card.

Fri, 2012-10-05 20:21 — Rev Graeme Hancocks (not verified)

Excellent poster.

Fri, 2012-10-05 17:35 — postageincluded

I still think the best caption for this poster came from Frankie Boyle.

"Just look at my big, shiny head".

Fri, 2012-10-05 17:18 — Michael Dixon (not verified)

The trouble with this poster is that it shows Cameron when he was a bit younger.

Although he has not aged overnight like Cowdenbeath's finest (was Gordon at the Conference?) they should have picked another photo.

Labour must pay these people thousands to make such a fundamental error

Fri, 2012-10-05 17:16 — Amber Star (not verified)

The writing should be in red, not blue. It needs to have something which draws attention to the fact that it's a parody not the original poster.

Fri, 2012-10-05 23:42 — kenelmist (not verified)

I agree. But posters like this will never be put up around the country. Maybe one or two sites, or put on a mobile trailer. The point is to have it reported in the press, and photographed.

Fri, 2012-10-05 17:13 — bill23 (not verified)

Any party that does not disassociate itself from the bankers who are in effect stealing from savings, pensions, and are increasing the deficit, deserves to lose. We all know that the criminality starts at council level and goes all the way up, but putting forward people like Letwin is just rubbing our nose in it. In fact, any politician with family links to the banks should be exposed as the potential criminal that they are.
No modern political party should have any connection with the banks whatsoever.