The Conservative Party has been condemned for yet another dishonest and misleading election campaign stunt, in which the party imitated an NHS prescription in a party leaflet.
The leaflet has been criticised for being misleading, deceptive, and ‘deeply dishonest’ by the fact-checking organisation Full Fact.
It gives information on how the Conservatives allege to improve the NHS, and how votes for Labour and the Liberal Democrats would harm the health service.
The party’s name is barely visible in small print, and outside of small print appears only once across four pages of manifesto information.
The Independent report that the pamphlet – titled ‘A prescription for a stronger NHS’ – is being delivered to voters in constituencies as far apart as Wimbledon, Leigh and Derby.
It mirrors the design, branding, typeface and general style of official NHS documents. One social media user siad they only noticed it was inauthentic when they saw the slogan “get Brexit done” within the text.
READ MORE: Tory election candidate says food bank users ‘struggle to manage their budget’READ MORE: Boris Johnson targeted by protesters in Andrew Neil masks at Grimsby fish marketFull Fact said the leaflets were ‘deceptive’ and added the party’s failure to “make their case to voters openly and transparently” may undermine the party’s ability to govern if they are elected.
Full Fact’s chief executive, Will Moy, said: “Elections are won by small margins, and deceptive tactics rob people of the chance to make informed choices about who to vote for.
“This kind of behaviour makes people lose faith in politics. And if a party loses voters’ trust before they are even elected, it will be harder for them to govern.
“Parties and candidates should have the self-respect to make their case to voters openly and transparently.”
A Lib Dem spokesperson condemned the prescription-style leaflet as “deeply dishonest”, adding: “We know that they will not, and have not protected our NHS.
“Brexit is already causing great damage to our health service with thousands of nurses and doctors from the EU leaving their jobs. The Tories are also flirting with a Donald Trump trade deal which could include the NHS, giving this leaflet no credibility whatsoever.”
The Conservative Party has been contacted for comment.
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