Press Release: 03.03.09

3rd March 2009

Angry Tory hits back at Labour’s shameful lies about Sure Start.

Local Tory Parliamentary Candidate, Gordon Henderson, has angrily rejected Labour claims that a future Conservative government would cut £20 million from the Sure Start budget, and close one of our local centres.

Mr Henderson said:

‘This is a shameful Labour lie, one that they drag up whenever they want to divert attention from their own disastrous record of financial incompetence. Let me assure local residents that Conservatives fully support the Sure Start programme and are not going to cut its funding. All our local centres will be safe under a Conservative Government.

‘Despite the importance of a child’s early years, this inept Labour administration has cut the number of properly-trained health visitors by 2,000.

‘That is why we will refocus the Sure Start budget, using money currently set aside for ‘outreach workers’ to pay for 4,200 new, trained health visitors. This will give parents much better support in the crucial early years of their child’s life.

‘Quite frankly, rather than spreading alarmist nonsense like this, Derek Wyatt and his party’s discredited Labour Government should be coming up with ways of helping families rather than playing on their fears.’