article: Ed Balls this morning repeatedly refused to match the Tories' election pledge to increase NHS spending by £8billion a year. The shadow chancellor said he would not make 'unfunded and uncosted commitments' after promising to cut the deficit every year. It comes after David Cameron pledged to give the NHS whatever it needed - but refused to say how he will find the money. Scroll down for video . Ed Balls this morning repeatedly refused to match the Tories' election pledge to increase NHS spending by £8billion a year . Speaking on the BBC this morning, ahead of Labour's manifesto launch in Manchester, Mr Balls insisted the party could be trusted to give the health service what it needed. But asked if he would give the NHS the £8billion a year budget boost demanded by its chief executive Simon Stevens, Mr Balls said: 'I won't promise £8billion of spending.' He said: 'We're not going to make unfunded and uncosted commitments. The Tories said at the weekend they'll find the £8billion. 'George Osborne was asked 18 times by Andrew Marr where money is coming from and he couldn't answer the question. That is what corrodes trust in politics.' Mr Balls added: 'I'll save the NHS but I'm not going to make promises until we can show where the money will come from – that's the irresponsible approach. It's actually become the George Osborne approach. 'We'll cut the deficit every year and the only promises we can make are promises where we can show where the money is going to come from. 'And clearly we need to make the economy stronger; we need the revenues to come in. I want, consistent with getting the deficit down, to do more for the NHS. 'But if I roll up and say '£8billion, I'm not going to tell you where the money is going to come from,' that would be irresponsible and that is what the Tories did this weekend.' David Cameron has pledged to increase spending by £8billion a year by 2020 - which Labour has refused to match . Pressed if Labour would deny the NHS the cash it needs, Mr Balls said: 'I said last year that we will do what it takes.' Mr Balls' remarks come as the Labour leader Ed Miiband prepares to unveil the party's manifesto in Manchester this morning. Mr Miliband will say he wants to be Prime Minister to build a 'fairer, more equal, more just country... that works for working people once again'. The manifesto will outline everything which a Labour government would do, from schools and hospitals, to crime, pensions, benefits and the environment. It includes a promise to cap energy prices, cut class sizes, offer more free childcare, increase the minimum wage, ban most zero-hours contracts, build more homes and find an extra £2.5billion for the NHS. It will rule out a rise in VAT, National Insurance or the basic rate of income tax. But it will also promise to cut spending of every government department apart from health and education, scrapping winter fuel payments for wealthy pensioners, capping rises in child benefit, a mansion tax on £2million homes, a levy on tobacco firms and an increase the top rate of tax to 50p. Explaining the party's commitments this morning, Mr Balls said: 'By the end of parliament we want to get the budget back into surplus or earlier if we can.'
highlights: Balls said he would not make 'unfunded and uncosted commitments'
  Tories have promised to give the NHS an extra £8billion a year by 2020 .
  NHS chief Simon Stevens said the extra cash is needed just to stand still .
  Balls insisted Labour can be trusted to give the NHS what it needs .
prediction: Ed 
   this 
   shadow chancellor said he would not make' unfunded and uncosted commitments' after 
   cut 
   deficit every year 
   give 
   NHS whatever it needed 
   but 
   say how he will find the money 
   . 
   refused to match the Tories' election pledge to increase NHS spending by £ 8billion a year . 
   on 
   Labour' s manifesto launch in Manchester 
   party could be trusted 
   health 
   Mr Balls said :' I won' t promise £ 8billion of 
   He 
   ed 
   is what 
   But if 
   David Cameron has pledged 
   by 2020 
  