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| Version 1 | Version 2 |
|---|---|
| We're the progressives - Osborne | We're the progressives - Osborne |
| (10 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%. | 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 added that people should not be "over-taxed" because of Labour's "overspending". | |
| 'Improve quality' | |
| Mr Osborne 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. | "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." | "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." |
| Mr Osborne praised Sweden as a country which had "dramatically" improved its education system, despite its own financial crisis, by allowing independent providers into the state sector. | |
| These companies were able to negotiate better contracts for computers, text books and land and had forced the state bureaucracy to reduce its costs, he claimed. | |
| Mr Osborne added: "It means the end of the state monopoly on the provision of state-funded education. | |
| "Education is still free for people, for children and parents. It's just that not all teachers in the country are employed by the state." |