Tories Angry At Labour's 'Underhand' NHS Survey

Tory councillors claim they were duped by a survey which has been used in Labour's election campaign.

The councillors were sent a letter claiming to be from a student doing some research on how they feel about the future of the NHS.

Answers to the questions posed were used by Labour's central office to compile statistics under the slogan: "The Real Face of the Tory Party Exposed."

The letter did however make clear the "student" was a member of the Labour Party.

One hundred and fifteen Tory councillors responded giving their views on privatisation, charging for services and cuts to the health service.

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Of those, 26 supported some form of charging people for health services, 12 suggested further use of the private sector and six proposed more cuts.

Councillor Malise Graham from Melton Borough Council says he did not know the letter was from Labour.

He told Sky News: "If I'd realised I wouldn’t have filled out a response. I thought it was a student doing research and I wanted to help."

Nick Hurst, Conservative councillor in Stroud, said: "They didn't say they were trawling for the Labour Party.

"A Labour student is different from a Labour Party rep. It's deceitful and underhand."

Most councillors didn't respond.

The Conservative party said: "The 115 replies constitute just 1.4% of elected Conservative councillors.

"The six that they cite as supporting cuts to the NHS constitute less than 0.07% of elected Conservative councillors."

However Paul Coulson, Conservative councillor for South Hams District Council, who responded to the study, told Sky News: "Yes, knew they were Labour and I stand by comments that the NHS is stretched and unsustainable."

He added "Politicians don’t have the brass to talk about this issue. Anyone not prepared to stand by their comments should not have responded."

Mr Coulson told the survey that government should consider charging for GP appointments.

He said: "We are living on borrowed money and borrowed time... our current model of providing universal 'free at the point of delivery' health care out of taxation and borrowing, is unsustainable."