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Tories back quicker spending cuts Tories back quicker spending cuts
(40 minutes later)
David Cameron has told the BBC the Conservatives would "go further" than Labour in cutting the UK's budget deficit, if they win the election. Conservative leader David Cameron has said his party would "go further" than Labour in cutting the UK's £178bn budget deficit, if they win power.
The government has pledged to halve Britain's deficit over four years but Mr Cameron said: "I do think we need to make more progress more quickly." The government has pledged to halve Britain's deficit over four years but Mr Cameron told the BBC: "We need to make more progress more quickly."
He accused ministers of wanting to delay decisions until after the general election, expected in May. He said ministers wanted to delay decisions until after the election.
Cutting the deficit was part of getting the economy to grow, he added. And he unveiled plans to help set up new firms, saying Britain would trade its way out of recession.
Asked if he would do more than halve the deficit in four years, he told BBC One's Andrew Marr programme: "We think you have to go further than what the government say, you have to start earlier." The main parties have clashed on tax and spending as they seek to set the agenda in the build-up to the general election - widely expected to be held in May.
'Not enough'
The government has introduced a Fiscal Responsibility Bill in Parliament aimed at halving the deficit in four years - something the Conservatives have labelled a "feeble stunt".
Asked if he would do more than halve the deficit in four years, Mr Cameron told BBC One's Andrew Marr programme: "We think you have to go further than what the government say, you have to start earlier."
He said economists agreed with his party that reducing the deficit - the gap between what the government is spending and its income from tax - was "not an alternative to a growing economy, it's part of getting the economy to grow".
We will not make a pledge to get rid of that National Insurance contribution increase until we can find a way of paying for it David Cameron Darling in tough spending cut vow
But he accepted that spending cuts the Conservatives have already committed to do are "not enough" to balance the books.
And he admitted that while he thought the government's planned 0.5% National Insurance rise from 2011 was the wrong approach - he could not yet commit not to bring it in, if he won power.
"We will not make a pledge to get rid of that National Insurance contribution increase until we can find a way of paying for it," he said.
He also outlined measures to help new business start-ups adding: "We are going to get out of this recession by trading our way out, by business deciding to employ people to create wealth, to go after new markets, to export."
He said it was wrong to believe public spending would pull Britain out of a recession - the government says Tory plans to begin cutting the deficit earlier risked deepening the recession.
On Saturday, Chancellor Alistair Darling warned that the next spending review would be the "toughest we have had for 20 years".On Saturday, Chancellor Alistair Darling warned that the next spending review would be the "toughest we have had for 20 years".
In December's pre-Budget report, Labour announced belt-tightening measures including a 1% cap on public sector pay rises and an increase in National Insurance from 2011.