Labour ‘fake nurse’ in campaign ad is actress who starred in BBC hospital drama
Labour has apologised after a so-called nurse in an election ad was revealed to be an actress who starred in a BBC hospital drama.
Rhian Cheyne, 33, appeared in the ad to attack the Tories, over accusations by many that they plan to sell off the NHS to US President Donald Trump.
Wearing blue hospital scrubs, the actress told the camera: “We will increase the funding available to our health service.
“Labour is the party that created the NHS, and we will defend it against Tory attempts to sell it off for parts to Donald Trump.”
The ad was a promotional video for the Welsh Labour Party ahead of Thursday’s General Election.
Broadcast guidelines state: “The use of reconstructions or actors in a broadcast must be made clear to the audience.
Labour has apologised and said they will not work with the production company which made the video again.
A Welsh Labour spokesman said: “It has been brought to our attention that a private production company used an actor for our party political broadcast without permission.
“We have spoken with the company involved, withdrawn the broadcast from future use and we will not be working with the production company in future.”
The Sun found that she starred in the BBC drama Ordinary Lies as a nurse.
Labour’s opponents in Wales slammed the ad as “fake news”.
Plaid Cymru’s Jonathan Edwards, who is standing for reelection in Carmarthen East and Dinefwr, said: “I can see why Labour felt they had to use a fake nurse in their political advert as their woeful record on the NHS in Wales means they have everything to hide.”
It comes at the end of a bad-tempered campaign which has seen both parties face accusations of fakery and dirty tactics.
This week, an investigation by the non-profit organisation First Draft – which debunks fake news – found 88% of Conservative paid-for Facebook ads in the first few days of December contained misleading claims.
More than 5,000 ads out of 6,749 paid for by the Tories included the claim that the Conservatives will build “40 new hospitals”, which the organisation said was misleading.
The PM was also criticised after taking a reporter’s phone to avoid looking at a picture of a boy lying on an NHS hospital floor.
In the controversial image, four-year-old Jack Williment-Barr was seen on the floor after being taken to hospital with suspected pneumonia.
Later that day, Health Secretary Matt Hancock was in a confrontation with a Labour activist.
There were angry scenes outside Leeds General Hospital, where the boy had been taken.
High-profile journalists including the BBC’s Laura Kuennsberg and ITV’s Robert Peston both reported that the activist had “punched” Hancock, before later retracting their claims when a video emerged showing the row.
Both put the mistake down to “government sources”, but wouldn’t name who had passed on the story.
In comparison, there were no misleading paid Facebook Labour ads over the same time period.
Image Source:*dailystar.co.uk
Source:dailystar.co.uk
