Prime Minister's Questions: Leaders clash over spending cuts

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-30517221

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Ed Miliband and David Cameron have traded blows on the economy in the last Prime Minister's Questions of 2014.

The Labour leader challenged the PM over cuts in public spending, saying the Conservatives wanted to take Britain back to the 1930s.

Mr Cameron said spending as a share of income was "roughly the same" as it was under Labour in 1999.

He attacked Labour for their "silence" over employment and immigration, calling Mr Miliband "a waste of space".

In their last exchanges in Parliament for three weeks, Mr Miliband provoked Mr Cameron by asking him to reflect on his year.

"You have lost two MPs to UKIP, you lost 26 too in Europe and you brought a whole new meaning to the phrase conviction politician when Andy Coulson went to jail," he told his counterpart.

"The truth is you have given up on compassionate conservatism. They have been exposed for who they really are.

"Your plan for the 2020s is to go back to the 1930s. It isn't about balancing the books, it is about slashing the state and in just four months' time that is the election choice."

But Mr Cameron hit back: "I have to say I almost feel sorry for Labour MPs - they can't talk about the deficit because it has fallen. They can't talk about growth because it is rising, they can't talk about jobs because we are increasing them, they can't talk about immigration because they have been told not to talk about immigration.

"They can't talk about their leader because he is a complete waste of space. No wonder for Labour MPs this year it's a silent night."