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By MONITOR THE Press release from the Conservative Party said that David Cameron had made a speech in Bolton in which he listed “26 gimmicks announced by Gordon Brown which amounted to nothing “ - British jobs for British workers, deportation of foreign nationals, prison ships and deep cleaning of hospitals were listed as examples of Mr Brown's “obsession” with gimmicks. Nothing unusual in that ,but one other gimmick mentioned by Mr Cameron led to an uproar when it became known - the recent government plan to help fund day-trip visits of sixth-formers to Auschwitz to learn about the Holocaust through the Holocaust Educational Trust. This scheme has been functioning in Scotland for some years with good results; the chosen students write about their experience and lead discussions with other pupils on their return. The government's schools minister, Ed Balls, called on Mr Cameron to apologise, saying “Anyone who has seen the horrors of Auschwitz at first hand knows what a life-changing experience it is. To call the government's plan a “gimmick” beggars belief. Mr Cameron should apologize immediately.” The President of the Board of Deputies of British Jews said that, although they do not get involved in party politics, they were “surprised and disappointed.” A Conservative Party spokesperson denied they were saying trips to Auschwitz were a gimmick and that the “gimmick” was in the funding, but did not explain why the Holocaust visits were number four on Mr Cameron's list of twenty-six.