CREATIVE sector unions and Labour left artists were aghast last night after the party “boasted” that it would “not cancel” cuts to the arts if it wins May’s election.

The row erupted after a posse of top Tories launched a policy document attempting to undermine Labour’s budget plans. The opposition said the dossier was riddled with inaccuracies and listed examples of false statements on the Labour press office Twitter account.

One tweet read: “Page 44 of Tory dossier says Labour will cancel cuts to the arts budget. We won’t.”

It was not made clear whether the party would simply refuse to reverse past cuts or whether it would continue making cuts to the arts.

Furious campaigners and party members took to Twitter to condemn the statement.

Labour London Assembly member Tom Copley wrote: “I loathe the portrayal of arts funding as something frivolous, a luxury.

“Public spending on the arts transforms lives & benefits the economy.”

A spokeswoman for the Lost Arts campaign said budget cuts were “already devastating local arts organisations.”

“Many are fighting to stay afloat and serve their communities, and philanthropy won’t save them as competition for funds is fierce,” she said.

“People may think: ‘Oh it’s just a theatre here or there’ but it’s more than bricks and mortar. It’s a social good, as well as providing jobs for musicians, actors, technical staff and more.

“Plus, without access to arts and culture where you live, how do you know it’s for you? Something you can do, and not the preserve of the rich. We don’t need more cuts, we need more funding.”

And broadcasting and entertainment union Bectu was also scathing.

General secretary Gerry Morrissey told the Star: “We’re less than impressed that Labour Party reps on Twitter seem more motivated by the tit-for-tat of parliamentary politics than about the message being sent to workers in the creative industries.

“The Labour Party shouldn’t forget that workers in the arts, and lovers of the arts, are voters too.”

Arts Council England suffered a whopping 30 per cent cut to its annual budget in the 2010 spending review after the Con-Dem government took office. Its budget has since been squeezed further each year.