By Lucy Phillips
4 January 2010
The Tories were today accused of a £34bn black hole in their spending plans by Labour, as both parties stepped up their pre-election campaigning.
A 150-page dossier published by Labour examined the details of £45bn of spending commitments made by the Conservatives. It said the opposition party had not explained how it would pay for the majority of its plans.
As both parties returned to work after the Christmas break and ahead of a general election, Chancellor Alistair Darling said: ‘The Tories have made over £45bn of promises, but can barely explain how they can pay for a quarter of this. This leaves them with a credibility gap of £34bn.
‘It’s now for them to say when and how they’ll be paid for. Or come clean and withdraw them.’
An election must be held before June and is expected on May 6, after Labour unveils its Budget in March.
The Labour paper claims the Tories would need to introduce new tax rises and deeper cuts to frontline services to fulfil their spending commitments, with further measures needed on top of this to reduce the country’s budget deficit.
Among the pledges made by the Conservatives, highlighted in the document, are reduced taxes for savers, businesses and married couples, a two-year freeze on council tax and a cut in inheritance tax.
The Tories have also committed to reverse a number of tax increases proposed by the government, including a rise in National Insurance contributions from 2011 and a new levy on broadband.
The Conservatives hit back at Labour, defending their plans to cut the country’s £178bn deficit and accusing the government of ‘irresponsible’ public spending.
Opposition leader David Cameron also today unveiled the Tory’s draft health manifesto. He pledged to divert resources to the most deprived areas of the service and give mothers ‘real choice’ over maternity services.
‘We are committed to protecting health spending in real terms – we will not make the sick pay for Labour’s debt crisis,’ said Cameron.
4 January 2010
The Tories were today accused of a £34bn black hole in their spending plans by Labour, as both parties stepped up their pre-election campaigning.
A 150-page dossier published by Labour examined the details of £45bn of spending commitments made by the Conservatives. It said the opposition party had not explained how it would pay for the majority of its plans.
As both parties returned to work after the Christmas break and ahead of a general election, Chancellor Alistair Darling said: ‘The Tories have made over £45bn of promises, but can barely explain how they can pay for a quarter of this. This leaves them with a credibility gap of £34bn.
‘It’s now for them to say when and how they’ll be paid for. Or come clean and withdraw them.’
An election must be held before June and is expected on May 6, after Labour unveils its Budget in March.
The Labour paper claims the Tories would need to introduce new tax rises and deeper cuts to frontline services to fulfil their spending commitments, with further measures needed on top of this to reduce the country’s budget deficit.
Among the pledges made by the Conservatives, highlighted in the document, are reduced taxes for savers, businesses and married couples, a two-year freeze on council tax and a cut in inheritance tax.
The Tories have also committed to reverse a number of tax increases proposed by the government, including a rise in National Insurance contributions from 2011 and a new levy on broadband.
The Conservatives hit back at Labour, defending their plans to cut the country’s £178bn deficit and accusing the government of ‘irresponsible’ public spending.
Opposition leader David Cameron also today unveiled the Tory’s draft health manifesto. He pledged to divert resources to the most deprived areas of the service and give mothers ‘real choice’ over maternity services.
‘We are committed to protecting health spending in real terms – we will not make the sick pay for Labour’s debt crisis,’ said Cameron.
