David Cameron calls Labour 'hopeless, sneering socialists' while announcing 7-day NHS plans

David Cameron tried to pull no punches against his rival Ed Miliband while announcing plans for NHS services to be in operation seven days a week.

He admitted at the Conservative Party Spring Conference today that the “high-stakes” General Election is on a “knife-edge”.

The Prime Minister was armed with insults from the get-go against the Labour Party, who are currently slightly ahead of the Tories in opinion polls.

He admitted that the election could only go two ways – with chips firmly stacked on both sides compared to the other hopeful parties – with only 40 days to go until polling day.

He did his best to discredit the opposition with consistent digs while promising full access to hospital services every day of the week by 2020, if re-elected.

This is despite Lynton Crosby, the Tories’ campaign director, advising the party to stick to talking about the economy as he said Labour is more trusted on the NHS issue.

Labour plans to limit private firms from making more than five per cent profit on hospital contracts and wants to spend £2.5bn more than the Tories on the NHS with funds raised by the “mansion tax” on properties over £2m.

The Prime Minister – who visited Salford Royal Hospital with his wife Samantha today – also called the Labour Party a “bunch of hypocritical, holier-than-thou, hopeless, sneering socialists”.

After being welcomed on the stage by Chancellor George Osborne, he says: “Thank you George, it is a pleasure to work with you. We are a team. We work very closely together.”

He keenly added, in reference to Mr Miliband’s race against his brother to lead the Labour Party: “We make decisions together, we get on with each other. How do we do it? It’s not like we’re brothers or anything!”

It was an obvious swipe at Mr Miliband after he spoke, on the so-called debate show Battle for Number 10 on Thursday, about the “bruising” contest he had with his sibling. Ed added that his strained relationship with brother David Miliband is “healing.”

Mr Cameron also criticised him for being “too weak”, contrary to his previous jibes about competing against his own brother. But he wasn’t unaware that his comments could be deemed a little below the belt as he admitted that he was getting “personal”.

After Mr Miliband’s surprising effort on the first televised election debate this year, and with less than six weeks to go until 7 May, Mr Cameron could be becoming a little desperate.

He said: “Some people might say, don’t make this personal. But when it comes to who’s prime minister, the personal is national.”

“The guy who forgot to mention the deficit could be the one in charge of our whole economy.

“The man who is too weak to stand up to the trade unions at home could be the one facing down our enemies abroad.

“The leader who thinks leadership is climbing aboard the latest bandwagon – he could be the one taking the make-or-break calls in the middle of the night,” he added.

However, Labour politicians as well as the British Medical Association council have questioned where Mr Cameron expects to find the money to deliver extended weekend healthcare.

Dr Mark Porter, who chairs the British Medical Association council, said: “Without a detailed, fully-costed plan to provide the staff and resources needed to deliver more seven-day services, this is at best an empty pledge and at worst shameless political game playing with the NHS ahead of the election.”