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No return to tax and spend, Ed Miliband tells Labour forum | No return to tax and spend, Ed Miliband tells Labour forum |
(about 3 hours later) | |
Ed Miliband has said there will be no return to the tax and spend policies of past Labour governments. | Ed Miliband has said there will be no return to the tax and spend policies of past Labour governments. |
The Labour leader told activists at the party's national policy forum that higher spending would not solve the UK's economic problems. | The Labour leader told activists at the party's national policy forum that higher spending would not solve the UK's economic problems. |
He said Labour would be more radical than in the past - and there was a need to "fundamentally reshape our economy". | He said Labour would be more radical than in the past - and there was a need to "fundamentally reshape our economy". |
He also said the public sector should be able to "challenge" to run rail lines, which were privatised in 1993. | He also said the public sector should be able to "challenge" to run rail lines, which were privatised in 1993. |
The national policy forum in Milton Keynes will see Labour finalise many of the policies it will argue for at next year's general election. | The national policy forum in Milton Keynes will see Labour finalise many of the policies it will argue for at next year's general election. |
'Traditional answer' | 'Traditional answer' |
Mr Miliband said Labour would offer a "binding commitment to balance the books". | Mr Miliband said Labour would offer a "binding commitment to balance the books". |
"We will get the national debt falling as soon as possible in the next Parliament and we will deliver a surplus on the current budget," he said. | "We will get the national debt falling as soon as possible in the next Parliament and we will deliver a surplus on the current budget," he said. |
Mr Miliband said the solution to Britain's economic problems "cannot be our traditional answer of spending to fix the problem". | Mr Miliband said the solution to Britain's economic problems "cannot be our traditional answer of spending to fix the problem". |
"Unless we fundamentally reshape our economy, we will only ever be able to compensate people for unfairness and inequality," he said. | "Unless we fundamentally reshape our economy, we will only ever be able to compensate people for unfairness and inequality," he said. |
He said Labour would "mend the link between hard work and reward". | He said Labour would "mend the link between hard work and reward". |
Analysis | |
By Iain Watson, BBC political correspondent | |
Polls suggest Labour still lags some way behind the Conservatives when it comes to being trusted with the economy. | |
So Ed Miliband didn't just deliver a blunt message to his activists on public spending - he wanted to tell a wider audience a future Labour government wouldn't plunge Britain deeper into the red. | |
But a lack of money wouldn't lead to a lack of ambition. | |
He admitted that in the good times the last Labour government hadn't fixed some of the underlying flaws in the economy before the financial crash hit. | |
So he promised to be radical in government - compelling employers to pay a higher minimum wage and encouraging more house building. | |
But that won't deliver his promised budget surplus in the short term and he didn't set out what cuts he would make to achieve this. | |
And Labour would still borrow to invest. | |
The coalition claims there would still be a hefty deficit if Ed Miliband becomes prime minister. | |
Mr Miliband said Britain could not keep spending billions "subsidising" those on low pay, and said the "living wage is an idea whose time has come". | Mr Miliband said Britain could not keep spending billions "subsidising" those on low pay, and said the "living wage is an idea whose time has come". |
The living wage - calculated as the basic cost of living in the UK - is more than the current minimum wage. | The living wage - calculated as the basic cost of living in the UK - is more than the current minimum wage. |
Mr Miliband said: "For the first time, we will make an offer to every employer in the country - you will get a tax cut on condition that you move to pay the living wage." | Mr Miliband said: "For the first time, we will make an offer to every employer in the country - you will get a tax cut on condition that you move to pay the living wage." |
He also said Labour would: | He also said Labour would: |
Mr Miliband said rail privatisation had too often "put the profits into the private sector and put the risk on to the government". | Mr Miliband said rail privatisation had too often "put the profits into the private sector and put the risk on to the government". |
"We know East Coast [mainline, which has been publicly run since 2009] has worked in public hands, so on the basis of value for money let's extend that idea and let the public sector challenge to take on new lines," he said. | "We know East Coast [mainline, which has been publicly run since 2009] has worked in public hands, so on the basis of value for money let's extend that idea and let the public sector challenge to take on new lines," he said. |
Mr Miliband said Michael Gove, who left the role of education secretary in David Cameron's cabinet reshuffle on Tuesday, had been thrown "overboard" by the prime minister. | Mr Miliband said Michael Gove, who left the role of education secretary in David Cameron's cabinet reshuffle on Tuesday, had been thrown "overboard" by the prime minister. |
He said Labour would end the "centralisation" and "lack of accountability" in Tory education policy. | He said Labour would end the "centralisation" and "lack of accountability" in Tory education policy. |
'No plan' | 'No plan' |
Commenting on advance excerpts from Mr Miliband's speech, Conservative Culture Secretary Sajid Javid said: "The reality is Labour haven't learnt the lessons from their mistakes. | Commenting on advance excerpts from Mr Miliband's speech, Conservative Culture Secretary Sajid Javid said: "The reality is Labour haven't learnt the lessons from their mistakes. |
"All Ed Miliband offers is more wasteful spending, more borrowing and more taxes. | "All Ed Miliband offers is more wasteful spending, more borrowing and more taxes. |
"That's exactly what got us into a mess in the first place, and hardworking taxpayers would pay the price. | "That's exactly what got us into a mess in the first place, and hardworking taxpayers would pay the price. |
"It's clearer than ever that Ed Miliband has no long-term plan to secure Britain's future and is just not up to the job." | "It's clearer than ever that Ed Miliband has no long-term plan to secure Britain's future and is just not up to the job." |