BOLTON’s Labour MPs have backed Ed Miliband to become the country’s new Prime Minister after his keynote speech at the party conference in Manchester.

The Labour leader took to the stand to deliver a speech which placed the NHS as the key battleground ahead of next May’s general election.

He told the conference that his party would recruit 36,000 doctors, nurses, care workers and midwives via a £2.5 billion cash boost.

The money for the initiative would come from a tax on tobacco companies as well as a “mansion tax” on properties worth more than £2 million and a crackdown on tax avoidance.

Another priority for Mr Miliband is to help young people and his speech set out plans for more apprenticeships, as well as a pledge to give 16 and 17-year-olds the vote and to help first-time house buyers by building 200,000 new homes a year by 2020.

Julie Hilling MP, who represents Bolton West said: “That was the next Prime Minister we saw today.”

She added: “There were some really strong messages on how the country can be better off, because we cannot continue in a situation where only the better off succeed. The majority of people in Bolton West are not feeling any effect of a recovery.

“His speech was full of the right Labour values — it was all about sharing the wealth of the country, which isn’t happening at the moment.”

Bolton North East MP David Crausby said he was pleased to hear his party leader’s plans for the NHS, an institution that he said Labour “completely believes in.”

He added: “The party sees the NHS as its child and we want to take care of it, we feel that the Tories don’t believe in it and want to change it by stealth and I feel, ultimately destroy it.”

“I am confident that we will win the next election, although we can’t be over-confident — but there is no question that Ed will lead us into the election.”