JULIE Hilling met with members of the Labour shadow cabinet to discuss the future of public services in Bolton.

The Bolton West Labour candidate spoke to Jon Ashworth, Angela Rayner, and Jonathan Reynolds yesterday about concerns over underfunding of schools and the NHS.

She said: “The NHS is always there to provide the best healthcare available for all of us regardless of our ability to pay, it must be preserved for future generations.

“Many, many people in Bolton West are very concerned about the growing crisis in our hospitals, general practice and social care.”

After Mr Ashworth obtained data revealing that more than 45,000 children’s operations have been cancelled since 2013, he said that the statistics were “an absolute damning indictment of the Conservatives’ neglect of the NHS”.

Ms Hilling also raised concerns over changes to the national school funding formula, which she says would reduce spending in Bolton West schools an average of £422 per pupil each year.

She added that the current government “care nothing about local families”.

Ms Rayner said: “There is a clear choice at this election, between the Tories who have broken their promises to parents and children, or a Labour Party with a real plan for education for the many not the few.”

“We will invest in schools and in our young people, ensuring no primary pupils go hungry during the day, reducing class sizes so children can learn and teachers can teach.

“Our plans for a new National Education Service, ending tuition fees and restoring the maintenance allowance and grants for students in both further and higher education show we are serious in investing for the future and giving everyone the opportunity they deserve to succeed.”