Liberal Democrat leader Nick Clegg has called for a £10bn "down payment" in the next financial year in a bid to cut the UK's record post-war deficit.
Liberal Democrat leader Nick Clegg says he will pose four "tests" to Labour and the Conservatives if they try to seek his support in a hung Parliament.
Mr Clegg told the Independent he hopes this would calm financial market nerves if there is a hung Parliament.
He said he would demand they commit to reform of the tax system, more spending on education for poorer children and a switch to a greener economy.
The BBC understands he will make clear at his party's spring conference that he favours paying down debt entirely by cutting spending rather than tax rises.
The fourth requirement would be voting reform in Westminster, he added.
The Liberal Democrat conference will be held in Birmingham at the weekend.
He did not say whether he would rather work with Labour or the Tories, but no pre-election "deals" would be done.
The party has regularly accused the other parties of not setting out the full scale of spending cuts that will be required, but has tended to argue that the economic recovery could be endangered by reducing public spending too quickly.
Mr Clegg told the Independent newspaper: "We are here to secure a big mandate for the big changes we want in Britain.
However, in an interview in the Independent newspaper the Lib Dem leader calls for an initial £10bn repayment.
We are not here to play games with other parties Nick CleggLib Dem leader
He was also critical of the Tories for stoking fears that a hung Parliament might cause a run on sterling because of market uncertainty about the ability of a minority government to reduce Britain's record £178bn deficit.
Mr Clegg appears to be taking a harder line on the need to cut spending in order to bring the deficit down.
However, as recently as last autumn his Treasury spokesman Vince Cable said that while the "emphasis" should be on spending cuts, no sensible chancellor should rule out raising taxes too.
Both Labour and the Conservatives are likely to rely on a mixture of cuts and taxation to reduce the nation's debt burden.
Mr Clegg also used his newspaper interview to outline "tests" he will set for Labour and the Tories if they seek his party's support in a hung Parliament.
'No deals'
The Lib Dem leader said he would seek tax reforms, extra education spending for disadvantaged pupils, a greener economy and voting reforms.
Mr Clegg said he would hold talks with the party that won the "strongest mandate" in the general election.
He told the Independent: "If a party with no majority has the strongest mandate, we accept the principle that that party has the right to govern either on its own or to reach out to others."
However, he said "no deals" would be discussed with other parties before the votes are counted.
"We are not here to play games with other parties," Mr Clegg said.
He went on: "We are here to secure a big mandate for the big changes we want in Britain."
"Once we know the lie of the land after the election, we have to work out the best way to do that."
"Once we know the lie of the land after the election, we have to work out the best way to do that."
Mr Clegg spoke ahead of the Lib Dem spring conference in Birmingham this weekend.
The BBC understands he will make clear at the event that he favours paying down debt entirely by cutting spending rather than tax rises.
The party has regularly accused the other parties of not setting out the full scale of spending cuts that will be required, but has tended to argue that the economic recovery could be endangered by reducing public spending too quickly.
