Delia Smith wrote the following letter today in support of Labour:
"Dear fellow voter,
The reason I have always voted Labour is initially because my parents did. My mother aged five witnessed the tragic death of her 18-month-old brother because the family could not afford to send for a doctor to treat his pneumonia. Wind on the years to when I was about 7 and I remember we had a poster with a table light behind it in our front window saying 'Vote Labour for a National Health Service' in the year they were campaigning for it.
That was all of 67 years ago, and now what they pioneered and worked so hard for, which became the envy of the world, is in grave danger of being compromised or at worst ceasing to exist, as we know it.
In short, what I believe profoundly, is the party that campaigned for it and created it will be the best one to nurture and sustain it for the future.
We are all fully aware of the strain it's under, and we each have a duty to do all we can to preserve this most precious asset, that makes such a vital contribution to human well-being in the U.K. We cannot afford to allow it to fall into the wrong hands.
Think back to that glorious opening ceremony at the Olympic stadium that was beamed around the world, and how we celebrated the NHS as one of our greatest achievements. Then think about how very close this election is and use first your heart and then your vote and play a part in helping Labour to work for and at all costs keep our NHS.
With warmest wishes,
Delia "