Winterton insists party has record to be proud of in region

Rosie Winterton, who has been charged with co-ordinating efforts in Yorkshire to fight the recession, said the party had helped people through the turbulence and insisted "we will not let people here sink or swim".

Despite evidence that Labour has broken a series of manifesto pledges made to voters in 2005, the party lists a series of achievements for the region.

A party spokesman said more than 554,000 over-60s and under-16s in our region have benefited from free swimming, there are over 330 Sure Starts in the region and by the end of this year there should be one in every community, and 65,000 mothers-to-be are getting a 190 Health in Pregnancy grant.

Other achievements the party trumpets include fast-tracking funding during the recession so an extra 4,200 homes in the region are getting Warm Front insulation, and more than 11,000 businesses are getting more time to pay their taxes.

Ms Winterton, whose ministerial portfolio also includes local government and regional economic co-ordination, said: "Labour has delivered for Yorkshire and Humber – for example this year we have the lowest NHS waiting times ever and crime greatly down. We are proud of our record, but we always know there is more to do.

"We have helped people through these difficult economic times and unlike during the last Tory recession, we will not let people here sink or swim.

"The Tories' priorities are not the people here in Yorkshire and the Humber – as minister for the region I would like to know just how many people here would benefit from their plans for inheritance tax cuts for the 3,000 richest families."

Activists and MPs have been split over whether the party should campaign in the general election on the back of its record in office or its plans for the future.

A film shown to delegates at the party conference in Brighton this summer listed achievements it has made since coming to power in 1997, and campaigners are unlikely to be shy of reminding voters of the bits of the manifesto where they have succeeded when it comes to election time.