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| Version 0 | Version 1 |
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| We're the progressives - Osborne | We're the progressives - Osborne |
| (20 minutes later) | |
| Shadow chancellor George Osborne has said the Conservatives are now the progressive force in British politics. | Shadow chancellor George Osborne has said the Conservatives are now the progressive force in British politics. |
| He said they planned to reform public services such as schools in a way which could achieve necessary spending cuts without harming frontline services. | He said they planned to reform public services such as schools in a way which could achieve necessary spending cuts without harming frontline services. |
| He also cited the open primary held in Totnes to select the Tory candidate. | He also cited the open primary held in Totnes to select the Tory candidate. |
| Mr Osborne told BBC Radio 4's Today that while he had never ruled out tax rises he had "no plans" and had had "no discussions" about VAT rising to 20%. | |
| He said: "Because of the debt crisis the country faces we have a choice. You can either reform the way these services are delivered - so the money goes further and you get more for less - or you can face frontline service cuts. | |
| "Because Labour has no plans to reform public services... if the Labour government was re-elected there would be frontline service cuts. | |
| "It is the Conservatives as the progressive force in British politics now who are thinking seriously about how you change the way you deliver public services so you can improve the quality of service delivery even in a period of budget restraint." |