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Lib Dem conference: Vince Cable's immigration 'sanity' plea Vince Cable says Conservatives 'obsessed with cuts'
(about 2 hours later)
The Liberal Democrats must be the voice of "sanity, seriousness and sense" on the issue of immigration, Vince Cable is to say. Business Secretary Vince Cable has said the Conservative Party is "obsessed" with spending cuts, with many public services already "cut to the bone".
In his speech to the Lib Dem conference in Glasgow, the business secretary will say migration benefits the British economy and strengthens "civic society". Mr Cable said the Lib Dems could "categorically not go along with" Conservative proposals for £25bn of further spending cuts.
He will also announce plans to give the lowest-paid apprentices a pay rise. Addressing the Lib Dem conference in Glasgow, he also said most immigrants brought "tangible" economic benefits.
The move could come into effect next October, if cleared by regulators. And he announced a pay rise for the lowest-paid apprentices.
Mr Cable is writing to the Low Pay Commission recommending that the apprentice rate of the minimum wage and the 16/17-year-old rate are combined. Mr Cable said the economy was still "dangerously dependant on the drug of cheap money".
'Massive transformation'
"The Tories are ideologically obsessed by cuts. They see it as a way of destroying public services and the welfare state, which they detest."
Conservative proposals for £25bn of further spending cuts would "do great harm" he said, adding: "We can categorically not go along with this."
Mr Cable said more taxes would be needed, but added that public borrowing for investment was a "no brainer".
He told the conference the Lib Dems had joined the coalition "because there was a national economic emergency".
"We worked with the Tories because voters chose them as the largest party - not because we liked them, or because we are like them."
The party has "abandoned the politics of perpetual protest", he said, crediting leader Nick Clegg with this "massive transformation".
Minimum wageMinimum wage
The pay rise for apprentices could come into effect next October, if cleared by regulators.
Mr Cable is writing to the Low Pay Commission recommending that the apprentice rate of the minimum wage and the 16/17-year-old rate are combined.
Most apprentices already earn more than the minimum wage but about 31,000 people are expected to benefit from the move, with their hourly rate going up from £2.73 to £3.79.Most apprentices already earn more than the minimum wage but about 31,000 people are expected to benefit from the move, with their hourly rate going up from £2.73 to £3.79.
The £1.06 hourly increase is backed by the Conservatives.The £1.06 hourly increase is backed by the Conservatives.
But Mr Cable is also expected to launch a fierce attack on the Lib Dems' coalition partners over their proposed benefit freeze.
In other developments at the conference:In other developments at the conference:
Mr Cable told an event on Sunday it was "completely unnecessary that low income people will be punished, that the working poor should be punished, to give tax relief to people at the top end of the income scale".
And he warned his coalition partners they were in for a more "colourful" attack in his conference speech.
On immigration, he will urge his party to stand up to "the purveyors of panic, prejudice and pessimism" and attack David Cameron's demand for reform of the principle of freedom of movement within the European Union.
He will argue that the government must "crack down on benefit tourism" but this must not be at the expense of free movement of workers.
Analysis
Iain Watson, BBC political correspondent
The Lib Dems are keen to talk about what one insider called "differentiation max" - that is, pointing out where their policies and approach diverge from their coalition partners.
So Vince Cable will hold out the prospect of stronger employment rights if the Lib Dems remain in government.
Nick Clegg will say his party wouldn't shirk the responsibility of encouraging more house building in south-east England.
But they are more tight-lipped when it comes to what red lines they would have in any future negotiations.
While they are denouncing Conservative plans for a referendum on EU membership, senior Lib Dems are making it quite clear privately that this wouldn't be a new barrier to forming a coalition.
And Chief Secretary to the Treasury Danny Alexander told a fringe meeting red lines were a "fruitless" way of doing politics.
He and his colleagues have acquired a taste for government and will do what they can to avoid more lean years of opposition.
The start of the Lib Dem conference has been dominated by attacks on the Conservatives, with former leader Sir Menzies Campbell even stepping in to urge his colleagues to rein-in their "extravagant" language.The start of the Lib Dem conference has been dominated by attacks on the Conservatives, with former leader Sir Menzies Campbell even stepping in to urge his colleagues to rein-in their "extravagant" language.
What has upset senior party figures the most are Conservative plans - announced last week - to freeze working-age benefits and raise the threshold of the 40p income tax rate.What has upset senior party figures the most are Conservative plans - announced last week - to freeze working-age benefits and raise the threshold of the 40p income tax rate.
BBC assistant political editor Norman Smith said Mr Cable's comments were the latest move by a senior Lib Dem to distance themselves from their coalition partners.BBC assistant political editor Norman Smith said Mr Cable's comments were the latest move by a senior Lib Dem to distance themselves from their coalition partners.
Lib Dem president Tim Farron has, meanwhile, accused the Conservatives of being "borderline immoral" for trying to "balance the books on the back of the poor". Lib Dem president Tim Farron accused the Conservatives of being "borderline immoral" for trying to "balance the books on the back of the poor".
Pensions minister Steve Webb drew pantomime boos from activists after a jibe about Chancellor George Osborne's benefit policy. At the Conservative conference last week Chancellor George Osborne said "the option of taxing your way out of a deficit no longer exists, if it ever did".
Explaining his party's policy later, Mr Webb said he could not guarantee above-inflation increases. He said the UK was the fastest-growing economy of any developed nation and said the Conservatives "here resolve that we will finish the job that we have started", in getting the economy on track and eradicating the deficit.
"I think that's very unlikely but what we've said is that we've tried to protect the most vulnerable at every turn, that will remain our priority."