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PM renews 'spending cuts' attack PM renews 'spending cuts' attack
(about 2 hours later)
Gordon Brown has again accused the Conservatives of planning "savage" public spending cuts after the next general election.Gordon Brown has again accused the Conservatives of planning "savage" public spending cuts after the next general election.
The prime minister told the Sunday Mirror the Tories had "let the cat out of the bag" about planned 10% cuts.The prime minister told the Sunday Mirror the Tories had "let the cat out of the bag" about planned 10% cuts.
But for the Tories, Ken Clarke said Mr Brown was being "childish", and it was "ludicrous" to suggest the PM was not planning to cut spending levels. But for the Tories, Ken Clarke said it was a "childlike deception" to pretend the PM would protect public spending in the face of a "serious debt problem".
Independent experts believe cuts will happen whoever wins the next election.Independent experts believe cuts will happen whoever wins the next election.
Speaking to the BBC this week, Mr Lansley appeared to suggest that, in order to protect spending on the NHS and schools, a future Conservative government would cut expenditure in other areas by a total of 10% between 2011 and 2015. Speaking to the BBC this week, Tory health spokesman Andrew Lansley appeared to suggest that, in order to protect spending on the NHS and schools, a future Conservative government would cut expenditure in other areas by a total of 10% between 2011 and 2015.
Mr 10%Mr 10%
The Conservatives said he had been working from Labour's own figures from the last Budget, which showed departmental spending - rather than the overall headline public spending figure - will be cut by 7% in real terms from next year.The Conservatives said he had been working from Labour's own figures from the last Budget, which showed departmental spending - rather than the overall headline public spending figure - will be cut by 7% in real terms from next year.
But in his article, Mr Brown accused the Tories of devising a "cuts plan that is wide, deep and immediate in order to fund a £200,000 tax cut for the 3,000 richest families" - a reference to a Conservative pledge to scrap inheritance tax on properties worth less than £1m.But in his article, Mr Brown accused the Tories of devising a "cuts plan that is wide, deep and immediate in order to fund a £200,000 tax cut for the 3,000 richest families" - a reference to a Conservative pledge to scrap inheritance tax on properties worth less than £1m.
At the moment for every £3 Gordon Brown's government raises in tax it is spending £4 - you don't have to be an economist or politician or a pundit to know that is unsustainable Ken ClarkeShadow business secretary It's a kind of child-like deception that he is somehow continuing to maintain public spending if he's allowed to keep in office Ken ClarkeConservatives
Branding Mr Cameron "Mr 10%", he said the Tory leader "would actually make the recession worse, by slowing public spending at exactly the time we need it most".Branding Mr Cameron "Mr 10%", he said the Tory leader "would actually make the recession worse, by slowing public spending at exactly the time we need it most".
He said a 10% spending cut would mean "44,000 fewer teachers, 15,000 fewer police, 10,000 fewer soldiers and, each year, 32,000 fewer university places".He said a 10% spending cut would mean "44,000 fewer teachers, 15,000 fewer police, 10,000 fewer soldiers and, each year, 32,000 fewer university places".
He added: "Those aren't just numbers on the page, but real jobs hanging in the balance."He added: "Those aren't just numbers on the page, but real jobs hanging in the balance."
Asked about the row, shadow business secretary Ken Clarke told Sky News Mr Brown was coming out with "absurd things about how Labour will invest whilst the Conservatives will cut as though there's some simplistic choice of that kind to be made. 'Grown up debate'
"It just deceives people as to what a Labour government would do if the public was so foolish as to re-elect it." Asked about the row, shadow business secretary Ken Clarke told the BBC One's Politics Show: "Gordon Brown's been pretending that we are the party of cuts and he's the party of investment, despite the public figures saying real spending's going down even on Labour's announced plans.
'Parliaments of pain' "Now if the prime minister was stupid, I would forgive him. But he's not stupid.
He criticised the government for dropping plans for a spending review in the autumn and said it was "classic Brownite campaigning" to get his ministers to repeat "childlike slogans" about Tory cuts. "He's a highly intelligent man and it's a kind of child-like deception that he is somehow continuing to maintain public spending if he's allowed to keep in office.
"This is childish nonsense as the public know, and he doesn't believe it," he said. I think the trap the Tories have fallen into is that they are promising immediate cuts when we are still in the middle of a recession Vince CableLiberal Democrats
"At the moment for every £3 Gordon Brown's government raises in tax it is spending £4 - you don't have to be an economist or politician or a pundit to know that is unsustainable. "Were he to do that he'd ruin the country because the public finances are already a terrible mess."
"It is ludicrous for Gordon to turn around and pretend that he hasn't already himself started planning to cut down that level of spending in order to get back to reality." He said the public knew there would be "tough and difficult decisions" and it was up to politicians to have a "grown up debate" about it.
The prime minister is seeking to regain the initiative after the Labour Party's poor performance in the local and European elections. Vince Cable, the Treasury spokesman for the Liberal Democrats, told the BBC it was a "very artificial argument".
At this stage, neither party have spelled out their detailed spending plans beyond 2011 but the debate will intensify in the run-up to the election. "We are talking about these growth figures which are based on a baseline that the government itself has established, which does involve real cuts in services and involves savage cuts in public investment.
Both of the main parties will to explain how they will reduce the spiralling level of public debt without being forced into both tax rises and deep spending cuts. "I think the trap the Tories have fallen into is that they are promising immediate cuts when we are still in the middle of a recession, rather than talking about the next 10 years when we are going to have to make some very, very tough choices about spending priorities."
At this stage, the two main parties have not spelt out their detailed spending plans beyond 2011 but the debate will intensify in the run-up to the election.
In its analysis of the Budget in April, the respected Institute of Financial Studies said the country faced "two parliaments of pain".In its analysis of the Budget in April, the respected Institute of Financial Studies said the country faced "two parliaments of pain".
It said there was £90bn "black hole" in the public finances and it would cost £2,480 in higher taxes or spending cuts per family to bring the budget back into balance.It said there was £90bn "black hole" in the public finances and it would cost £2,480 in higher taxes or spending cuts per family to bring the budget back into balance.
Labour disputed this figure and said the IFS had not understood the full picture.Labour disputed this figure and said the IFS had not understood the full picture.
BBC economics editor Stephanie Flanders said that "the government's own numbers imply a 10% real cut in spending on other departments between 2011 and 2013 if the NHS and DFID are protected".