Richard Harrington, the Conservative parliamentary candidate for Watford, reiterated his support for Watford General Hospital after he accused Labour MP Claire Ward of “lying” and “scaremongering”.

Ms Ward stood outside the hospital, in Vicarage Road, to promote herself as the best candidate to secure the future of the new health campus project yesterday (Thursday).

She claims a Conservative government would halt the £1 billion despite previous assurances from shadow health secretary Andrew Lansley.

Mr Harrington last night (Thursday) reacted furiously to the claims.

He said: “Again, I am disappointed by Claire’s actions and her disgraceful attempt at winning votes by lying.

“This stunt, and it is a stunt, is for the sole purpose of scaremongering and these tactics are debasing politics.

“Both the Labour and the Liberal Democrat candidates have continued to peddle these shameless lies and I feel sorry for the electorate that these parties have chosen to go down this route of campaigning.

“I support the hospital and health campus 100 per cent and we are the only party that will increase spending on the NHS.”

And Mr Lansley has again expressed his support for the health campus, despite Hemel Hempstead MP Mike Penning, a shadow health minister, stating last year a Tory government would hold a review of acute services.

Mr Lansley said: “There is no prospect of major acute services for West Herts being anywhere other than in Watford.

“I take the same view that the Strategic Health Authority currently does — that is, this is a project I support.”

Mr Harrington recently spent a ten-hour shift shadowing doctors and nursing staff at the hospital.

He added: “I really believe that the NHS is the best thing about this country. David Cameron will make the NHS his top spending priority if he becomes Prime Minister. If elected, our local NHS services will also be at the top of my agenda.”