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Ed Miliband insists deficit is 'priority' despite forgetting it in speech | Ed Miliband insists deficit is 'priority' despite forgetting it in speech |
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Ed Miliband has admitted missing out a passage on the UK's financial deficit in his Labour Party conference speech. | Ed Miliband has admitted missing out a passage on the UK's financial deficit in his Labour Party conference speech. |
In a round of media interviews he said "one of the perils" of delivering a speech without a script was "not remembering every detail". | In a round of media interviews he said "one of the perils" of delivering a speech without a script was "not remembering every detail". |
But he insisted that he had set out how Labour would tackle the economy and immigration, despite bits on both in the full script being being left out. | But he insisted that he had set out how Labour would tackle the economy and immigration, despite bits on both in the full script being being left out. |
Chancellor George Osborne said omitting the deficit was "extraordinary". | Chancellor George Osborne said omitting the deficit was "extraordinary". |
Mr Osborne tweeted after the speech: "Ed Miliband didn't mention the deficit once. Extraordinary. If you can't fix the economy you can't fund the NHS." | Mr Osborne tweeted after the speech: "Ed Miliband didn't mention the deficit once. Extraordinary. If you can't fix the economy you can't fund the NHS." |
A pre-prepared text of the speech later emerged which included passages on a promise to "deal with our nation's debts" and another on immigration which Mr Miliband did not include in his conference speech in Manchester. | A pre-prepared text of the speech later emerged which included passages on a promise to "deal with our nation's debts" and another on immigration which Mr Miliband did not include in his conference speech in Manchester. |
The Labour leader told the BBC he "did not deliberately" drop the passages on the deficit and immigration, admitting the latter was "one section of the speech which I did not use". | |
He said he preferred not to give pre-prepared speeches as he believed people wanted to hear "directly" from him and it was the "style that worked for him", | |
But he insisted that he had made clear that there would be no new borrowing to fund a £2.5bn cash injection into the NHS and Labour had already set out to plans to raise money through hiking the top rate of income tax and freezing child benefit. | |
'Deficit signals' | |
"Nobody should doubt our seriousness about tackling the deficit," he told Radio 4's Today programme, adding that shadow chancellor Ed Balls had set out a "clear plan" on Monday. | |
"We have already sent signals on the action we will take. It is tough and it is difficult." | |
Reflecting on the speech, shadow health minister Liz Kendall said: "It was an hour-long speech and things always change in the delivery. | |
"I don't think anybody in the shadow cabinet is under any illusions about the scale of the challenge we face with the deficit, how we need to live within our means as a country, how we need to balance the books." | "I don't think anybody in the shadow cabinet is under any illusions about the scale of the challenge we face with the deficit, how we need to live within our means as a country, how we need to balance the books." |
She pointed out shadow chancellor Ed Balls had set out a range of Labour economic policies in his speech on Monday. | She pointed out shadow chancellor Ed Balls had set out a range of Labour economic policies in his speech on Monday. |
On Wednesday Labour is to give more details of its plan for the NHS, after Miliband's pledge to "save and transform" it. | On Wednesday Labour is to give more details of its plan for the NHS, after Miliband's pledge to "save and transform" it. |
Shadow health secretary Andy Burnham will explain what a £2.5bn annual funding boost will mean for patients. | Shadow health secretary Andy Burnham will explain what a £2.5bn annual funding boost will mean for patients. |
Mr Miliband, whose autocue-free speech lasted more than an hour, said his government would provide for 20,000 more nurses, 8,000 more GPs, 5,000 more care workers and 3,000 more midwives by 2020. | Mr Miliband, whose autocue-free speech lasted more than an hour, said his government would provide for 20,000 more nurses, 8,000 more GPs, 5,000 more care workers and 3,000 more midwives by 2020. |
He said the "time to care" fund would be paid for by: | He said the "time to care" fund would be paid for by: |
But BBC health correspondent Nick Triggle said it was "not yet clear" what Labour's £2.5bn pledge would mean for the NHS. | But BBC health correspondent Nick Triggle said it was "not yet clear" what Labour's £2.5bn pledge would mean for the NHS. |
"The coalition government has actually increased the budget by a similar amount in cash terms, but that only equates to 0.1% rises each year in real terms once you factor in inflation," he said. | "The coalition government has actually increased the budget by a similar amount in cash terms, but that only equates to 0.1% rises each year in real terms once you factor in inflation," he said. |
Setting out his 10-year plan to build a "world-class Britain" at the Manchester conference, Mr Miliband promised to raise the minimum wage by £1.50 an hour by 2020 and give 16 and 17-year-olds the vote. | Setting out his 10-year plan to build a "world-class Britain" at the Manchester conference, Mr Miliband promised to raise the minimum wage by £1.50 an hour by 2020 and give 16 and 17-year-olds the vote. |
He also said Britain under Labour would be building 200,000 homes a year by 2020, and by 2025 he wanted as many young people taking apprenticeships as currently go to university. | He also said Britain under Labour would be building 200,000 homes a year by 2020, and by 2025 he wanted as many young people taking apprenticeships as currently go to university. |