THE SNP have urged Labour to "do the right thing" by committing to boosting the NHS by up to £24 billion.

 

Nicola Sturgeon called for Ed Miliband to back her party's spending proposals which she claims will free up the multi-billion pound sum for the NHS.

The FIrst Minister also said it would free up an extra £2billion for NHS Scotland.

Speaking during another day of the campaign trail yesterday, Nicola Sturgeon slammed Westminster cuts and said they had "completely failed".

The SNP leader has already set out plans to raise public spending across the UK by £180 billion over the term of the next parliament, arguing this is a "real alternative" to austerity.

She added: "Tory NHS privatisation is putting the health service south of the border at risk, threatening to harm Scotland's budget in the process.

"I have outlined plans for a modest spending increase at Westminster - which will not only bring an end to the failed austerity agenda, but will enable us to increase spending on Scotland's NHS by a total of £2 billion by 2020.

"Today I am calling on Ed Miliband to back these plans.

"Doing so would enable vital investment in our NHS and the health service south of the border - as well as locking Tory austerity out of Downing Street."

"Earlier this year Labour voted arm in arm with the Tories for £30 billion more austerity while also signing up to wasting £100 billion on renewing the abhorrent and immoral Trident system. It is not too late for Ed Miliband and his party to correct this mistake and back the progressive SNP policies that people across the UK are crying out for.

"A strong team of SNP MPs at Westminster will always stand up for Scotland's NHS - and we will oppose anything that could have an adverse knock on impact on our budget.

"That is exactly why we will vote to restore England's NHS and give people south of the border their health service back.

"This is a clear example of the progressive politics a strong team of SNP MPs will stand for at Westminster. It is time for Labour to step out of the shadow of the Tories and do the right thing for the NHS in Scotland and across the UK

The general election campaign north of the border has been dominated by Labour and the SNP, but the Conservatives - who won just one Scottish seat in 2010 - are hoping to improve on that after May 7.

Scotland Office Minister David Mundell together with Scottish leader Ruth Davidson used their day of campaigning yesterday to raise awareness about poor mobile phone coverage in rural areas.