Cameron attacked for cuts plans
By politics.co.uk staff David Cameron has come under attack from his opponents over a pledge to reduce the size of the state in a number of regions. Speaking to Jeremy Paxman on the BBC yesterday, the Conservative leader was quizzed over his party’s desire to cut the size of the public sector in the […]
Hard-talking Clegg stands up to City
By Alex Stevenson Nick Clegg refused to compromise with a City audience as he outlined why the banking sector needs urgent reform. The Liberal Democrat leader’s comments in a major speech at the Guildhall come just a week before he and Treasury spokesman begin a charm offensive against the City. It is clear that process […]
Osborne pressures Darling over debt
By Alex Stevenson Chancellor Alistair Darling must choose between country and party, George Osborne has said. The shadow chancellor told the BBC his opposite number was “probably not going to be in post whoever wins the election” as he prepared for next week’s pre-election Budget. Mr Osborne said Mr Darling has a “very difficult judgement […]
Cameron downplays spending cut ambitions
By politics.co.uk staff Public spending cuts under a Conservative government would not be imposed immediately but over a “five-year horizon”, David Cameron pledged at the weekend. The Conservative leader denied yesterday that he was planning “swingeing cuts” within the next 12 months, explaining that with an election in May the 2010/11 year is already under […]
Mandarins voice fury at Osborne allegations
By politics.co.uk staff The shadow chancellor has been accused of making false accusations by senior Treasury officials after he implied that they had broken the law and collaborated with Labour in a taxation cover-up. In an unprecedented move, senior civil servants – who are sworn to political impartiality – voiced anger at the allegations and […]
Osborne: Treasury leak shows Brown misled MPs
By Liz Stephens Treasury documents show Gordon Brown misled MPs on the scale of Labour’s planned spending cuts, George Osborne alleged today. The shadow chancellor said the prime minister’s denial that he was planning large-scale cuts was undermined by leaked papers suggesting the government is preparing for “near ten per cent” cuts in departmental budgets. […]
Mandelson speech in full
Read the full transcript of business secretary Peter Mandelson’s speech to Progress here. Before the summer I said that we are now the underdogs in politics. I posed the question whether our response to that fact was to give into defeatism or to fight back. I know what the answer will be from our friends […]
Knives out for spending cuts debate
By Alex Stevenson A report outlining how the government could slash public spending by £50 billion has prompted angry reactions from the left. The TaxPayers’ Alliance and Institute of Directors’ (IoD) joint report outlines 32 steps to save £42.5 billion a year from 2010/11. Brendan Barber, general secretary of the Trades Union Congress, responded by […]
Thousands more face fuel poverty
By Liz Stephens Higher energy prices coupled with rising unemployment could push hundreds of thousands more homes into fuel poverty, a group of influential government advisors has said. The Fuel Poverty Advisory Group (FPAG) said about four million households in England are already in fuel poverty – which is defined as spending more than ten […]
OECD report undermines Brown’s spending plans
By Liz Stephens A report by a leading world think-tank has criticised the government for not being “more explicit” about the spending cuts and tax rises needed to address the UK’s soaring deficit. It came as Gordon Brown set out his vision for reform in a new manifesto, Building Britain’s Future, this afternoon. Opposition parties […]
