Tory manifesto shows ‘nasty party is well and truly back’, Ed Miliband says

Former Labour leader Ed Miliband has said Conservative manifesto policies affecting older people have “shattered” the party’s “facade”.

Mr Miliband said the Tories’ “mask has slipped” with the publication of their manifesto on Thursday.

He made the comments as he campaigned with Labour candidate Neil Dawson in Conservative-held Morley, where he said the campaign was “all to play for”.

Mr Miliband criticised the Tory manifesto as being uncosted, unclear and having no detail.

He said: “The Tory manifesto has unravelled in the last 24 hours in a way that I can’t remember manifestos unravelling.

“The truth is, there’s no costings, no clarity, no detail, but, also, this facade that somehow it’s a different type of Tory party, I think the facade has actually been shattered apart by what they’re doing to older people.”

He added: “The Tories have tried to say as little as possible in this campaign, now they’ve tried to say what their plans are, I think people are looking at it and not liking it at all.”

The former party leader, who spoke to Alzheimer’s Society fundraisers as he campaigned in Morley, attacked Tory policies on dementia sufferers in particular, describing them as “unfair and wrong”.

He said: “I think the mask has slipped on the Conservative Party with the publication of their manifesto.

“I think the nasty party is well and truly back and, if you look at them taking the winter fuel allowance away from 10 million pensioners, ending the triple lock, attacks on people who get dementia, I actually think that lots and lots of people are taking a second look at what the Tories are actually offering in this campaign and contrasting it to Labour: the investment in health and education and building a fairer society, guaranteeing pensioners the winter fuel allowance and the other benefits, including the triple lock, and I think it’s all to play for in this campaign.”

Mr Miliband spoke to a number of people as he walked through Morley town centre with Mr Dawson, who he described as an “excellent candidate”.

He took selfies with supporters and politics students who arrived to help with campaigning.

He also joked about his recent experience calling bingo numbers, saying he thought it was “an excellent opportunity”.

The Morley and Outwood constituency was the scene of one the defining moments of the 2015 general election when shadow chancellor Ed Balls lost his seat.

It is now the seat of Conservative MP Andrea Jenkyns, with a majority of just 422 votes.