Miliband puts NHS at heart of Labour’s election fight

ED MILIBAND today put the NHS at the heart of his battle for No 10 as he formally launched Labour’s general election campaign at London’s Olympic Park.

The Labour leader unveiled an “NHS double-lock” to stem the spread of private contractors in the health service and to cap their profits at around five per cent.

And he predicted that his contest against David Cameron would be “neck and neck” to the last lap. “Like so many races here during the Olympics, it will go to the wire,” he said.

Mr Cameron was widely deemed to have edged ahead in the first big showdown of the election — last night’s live TV interviews. But Labour was cheered that Mr Miliband appeared to have narrowed the gap between them.

SNP leader Nicola Sturgeon attempted to overshadow his campaign launch by boasting that Scottish Nationalist MPs would be able t o hol d La bour to ransom, using their muscle in a hung parliament to axe Trident and hold sway over spending.

But Mr Miliband declared that he was an “optimist” and insisted the only choice was between Conservative or Labour visions for the country.

His decision to launch with the NHS — Labour’s strongest issue — was his least risky option. He confirmed Labour would scrap Conser vative reforms that encourage privatisation of services, and announced a “profit cap”, which sources said would be roughly five per cent, compared with 12 per cent in some cases now. There would also be rules to prevent private firms cherry picking the most profitable contracts.

During last night’s TV debate — aired on Sky News and Channel 4 — he confirmed that Mansion Tax money from Londoners would benefit the Scottish health service, saying: “It’s true most of those homes are in the South East. It’s also true there are consequentials for spending in Scotland.”

But Mr Miliband found himself mocked by Ms Sturgeon, who claimed her party would join with Labour Left-wingers in a “progressive alliance” to “wield real influence” if Labour got in. She told the BBC: “We would use our influence to try to pursue an alternative to austerity, the