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Labour promises it would fund an extra 1,000 nurses in Scotland

Scottish Labour leader Jim Murphy promises a boost in nurse numbers if his party wins the general election

Scottish Labour leader Jim Murphy has promised to boost the number of nurses in Scotland by 1,000 if his party wins the general election.

Setting out 10 pledges that include scrapping university tuition fees and increasing bursaries for the poorest students by £1,000, Mr Murphy said the increase in nurse numbers would be paid for by a 'mansion tax'.

'We want the NHS to be there when people need it; to have the resources to deliver new cures and meet the challenge of an ageing population,' said Mr Murphy. 'We will tax the profits of the tobacco companies, make sure hedge funds pay their fair share, and yes, we will bring in a mansion tax on those expensive properties found mainly in London to invest an additional billion pounds in our NHS. That enables us to deliver, in Scotland for starters, a thousand extra NHS nurses.'