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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 |
(35 minutes later) | |
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 forgetting bits on both that were in the full script. | But he insisted that he had set out how Labour would tackle the economy and immigration, despite forgetting bits on both that were in the full script. |
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. |
'Speaking style' | 'Speaking style' |
Mr Miliband had intended to say Labour would take a "tough new approach" on the deficit, pointing out that the £75bn annual level of borrowing Labour would inherit was larger than the entire schools budget. | Mr Miliband had intended to say Labour would take a "tough new approach" on the deficit, pointing out that the £75bn annual level of borrowing Labour would inherit was larger than the entire schools budget. |
He also planned to say Labour "would not have money to spend" after the election and a future government would have to "live within its means". | He also planned to say Labour "would not have money to spend" after the election and a future government would have to "live within its means". |
In the section on immigration, he was due to say "immigration benefits our country but those who come here have a responsibility to learn English and earn their way". | In the section on immigration, he was due to say "immigration benefits our country but those who come here have a responsibility to learn English and earn their way". |
But, in his 65-minute address, the Labour leader made no mention of the public finances at all and made only a passing reference to immigration, when he accused David Cameron of pandering to the UK Independence Party. | But, in his 65-minute address, the Labour leader made no mention of the public finances at all and made only a passing reference to immigration, when he accused David Cameron of pandering to the UK Independence Party. |
The Labour leader told the BBC he "did not deliberately" drop the passages on the deficit and immigration but his approach was to write a text in advance and use it is as the basis for his speech - which meant things were added in and left out on the day. | |
"I could just stand there and read out a pre-prepared speech," he said. | |
"I have chosen for the last three years to do it in a different way because I think people want to hear directly from me. That is the style I have chosen - the style that I believe works for me. | |
"That are perils that come with that obviously but what people got a sense of yesterday was a plan to change our country." | |
Asked if he would mention the deficit if he gave the speech again, he replied: "I'm sure that I would do it differently. If I did the speech again today I would do it differently." | |
'Deficit signs' | 'Deficit signs' |
But he insisted he had made clear that there would be no new borrowing to fund a £2.5bn cash injection into the NHS and that shadow chancellor Ed Balls had set out a "clear plan" on Monday to balance the books by the end of the next Parliament. | |
"Nobody should doubt our seriousness about tackling the deficit," he added. | |
"We have already show signs on the action we will take. It is tough and it is difficult but we have laid out some of those plans." | "We have already show signs on the action we will take. It is tough and it is difficult but we have laid out some of those plans." |
Labour's focus in government, he added, would be about "big reform not big spending and it about saying whenever we have a plan to spend extra resources it is clearly costed". | Labour's focus in government, he added, would be about "big reform not big spending and it about saying whenever we have a plan to spend extra resources it is clearly costed". |
The absence of any mention of the deficit prompted criticism from business groups and was seized upon by Labour's opponents as evidence Mr Miliband is not ready for power. | The absence of any mention of the deficit prompted criticism from business groups and was seized upon by Labour's opponents as evidence Mr Miliband is not ready for power. |
The Lib Dems said the "rambling" speech was full of "underfunded promises" using "money that's been spent many times over". | The Lib Dems said the "rambling" speech was full of "underfunded promises" using "money that's been spent many times over". |
Health pledge | Health pledge |
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 has said a future Labour 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 has said a future Labour government would provide for 20,000 more nurses, 8,000 more GPs, 5,000 more care workers and 3,000 more midwives by 2020. |
This would be paid for by a "mansion tax" on houses worth more than £2m, raising an estimated £1.2bn, a £1.1bn crackdown on tax loopholes used by hedge funds and a £150m levy on tobacco firms to contribute to the cost of treating smoking-related illnesses. | This would be paid for by a "mansion tax" on houses worth more than £2m, raising an estimated £1.2bn, a £1.1bn crackdown on tax loopholes used by hedge funds and a £150m levy on tobacco firms to contribute to the cost of treating smoking-related illnesses. |
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. |