Hastings and Rye MP Michael Foster has challenged local Tory parliamentary candidate Amber Rudd to denounce the attack on the NHS by fellow Tory, South East MEP Daniel Hannan.

Daniel Hannan is the Conservative Member of the European Parliament for the South East Region (which includes Hastings & Rye) having been re-elected in June 2009.

Daniel Hannan appeared on US TV to launch an extraordinary attack on the NHS saying he “wouldn't wish" the NHS "on anyone" and that it was a “60 year old mistake”. He was appearing on the FOX network in support of the campaign trying to derail Barack Obama’s healthcare reforms.

Michael Foster MP said:

“The NHS is one of our great institutions. The moment you're injured or fall ill - no matter who you are, where you are from, or how much money you've got - you know that the NHS will look after you.

“Daniel Hannan is defending a system in the US that costs twice as much per person as the NHS but excludes people who are poor – 30million people have no health coverage – and often places caps on the amount or type of treatment patients can receive. Health inequalities in the USA are amongst the worst in the world.

“David Cameron would have you believe Daniel Hannan is a ‘maverick’ outside the main Tory Party whose views are not widely held. Well, he was top of the Tory candidate list, approved by Cameron, for the euro elections a couple of months ago. This despite the fact that his views on the NHS had already been made know. David Cameron cannot escape the fact that he has endorsed a man with such extreme views. You well ask: “are their views really so far apart?”

“Local voters will want to know where Amber Rudd stands on all this. She campaigned for Hannan in the recent elections knowing full well his views. I think the people of Hastings and Rye deserve to know why she supports him.