Tories will cut the deficit, not the NHS

Just arrived at the launch of chapter one of the Conservative manifesto - which you can now download here.

The first poster puts David Cameron (without a tie) and the NHS at the centre of the Tory campaign.

Click on the image to enlarge:

Tim Montgomerie

10.35am: George Osborne says this NHS campaign will feature on 1,000 poster sites across country.

10.40am: The NHS, says Cameron, was my first priority when I became leader and it remains my top priority.

10.45am: After listing the NHS reform measures that the Tories will introduce Mr Cameron notes that life expectancy and infant mortality rates for poor and rich have widened under Labour and are as big as in Victorian times. To correct this the Conservatives will introduce a Health Premium to target more resources on the poorest communities.

10.50am: In a second new policy announcement David Cameron announces new maternity networks, that will link up local hospitals, doctors, charities, voluntary groups and maternity consultants to share information, expertise and services.

10.55am: In his contribution Andrew Lansley emphasises the importance of public health funds to prevent disease.

11am: During Q&A Mr Cameron attacked this morning's Labour document which alleges a £34bn black hole in Tory finance plans. Mr Cameron said he had spotted £11bn of errors in the report in a very quick 11 second scan. He said he wouldn't take lectures from a Chancellor whose forecasts had proved to be spectacularly unreliable.

11.05am: Mr Cameron didn't really answer Gary Gibbon's question about whether the Tories had no plan to cut the deficit beyond the modest measures already announced or whether there was a secret plan to cut more deeply. The Tory leader responded by saying that he has been more honest than Labour.