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Brown binge 'means each UK child will owe £17,000'
Joe Murphy, Political Editor12 Jan 2009
EVERY child born in Britain will owe £17,000 because of Gordon Brown's "morally repugnant" borrowing, Tory leader David Cameron claimed today.
He was launching a hard-hitting poster campaign accusing the Prime Minister of saddling future generations with debts caused by high spending.
Some 270 posters will be put up across the country featuring a new-born baby, with the caption: "Mum's eyes. Dad's nose. Gordon Brown's debt."
State debt is due to rise above a trillion pounds in the next five years, according to official figures. Borrowing by the Government has soared during the economic crisis and is due to rise this year by £118 billion.
Unveiling the campaign, Mr Cameron was planning to claim that he could not, as a father, agree to so much debt being heaped on future generations.
"I'm a dad first and foremost and everything I do is about making sure my children have a better life," he will say. "And what guides me in my personal life guides me in my public life."
He will go on: "That's why I'm so adamant we must stop this Government from borrowing so much money.
"Every child born in Britain this year will be staggering along under Gordon Brown's debt - £17,000 each to be precise - which will take them over 40 years to pay off. I believe there is something morally repugnant about this Labour Government sacrificing tomorrow for the political convenience of today."
Mr Cameron will claim that for the first time in generations, parents are "looking at their children and questioning if they will have a better life than they themselves had".
Reader views (30)
Gordon says we must do everything to avoid 'the lost decade of Japanese deflation' even if it means printing money like Zimbabwe. So you've got to ask yourself - where would you have rather lived in the past 10 years, Japan or Zimbabwe?
- Zady, london, 12/01/2009 19:17
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And still no elections so the silly government continues in Britain.
- Jacqueline, Hampstead, London, 12/01/2009 18:42
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In no way is this a silly way to portray the situation - more like a practical way to do so, making it more understandable. The fact that future generations have always had to pay for the follies of past leaders is hardly a reason why people today should not be cautioned against more of the same.
Even the supporters of the schemes of the current national 'leaders' could get something out of this. They could remind the next Tory government that this was said at the time of their predecessor GB's ineptitude, perhaps giving them pause in making an equally serious mistake. (Or they could use it for point scoring when the opportunity arises - something often more important to political supporters these days, sadly).
- Rogan, Irving, 12/01/2009 18:28
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This debt that Brown and his gangsters are saddling future generations with is behond believe. The only thing that is on Browns mind is the survival of Gordon Brown, Brown before party and party before country. Brown has had more money at his dissposal than any modern Prime Minister. The money has been wasted on bypassing democracy by creating a votes bank of Scottish & Welsh voters, Immigrants, Welfare Scroungers, Civil Servants & Quangoes, all payed for by hard working tax payers. Its about time the Tories toughened up, they are the only chance the British people have of getting rid of this rotten corrupt government. Welfare State, Scoungers, NHS, Stealth Taxes, Referendum Deceit, Browns gang members in Europe, Destruction of Works Pensions, Education, Immigration, Selling our Gold, Transport, Knife Crime, Prisons, Civil Servants Pensions, Housing, etc, etc. Never has a opposition party had more ammunition than the Tories have now.
- Mr G Pickles, Leeds, UK, 12/01/2009 17:25
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No wonder nobody wants to invest in Pound Sterling. Our currency will continue to drop with Golden Brown "in power"!
- Pat, London, N1, 12/01/2009 16:48
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What a silly way to portray the perceived situation! I dont know about children but we all have had to pay for politicians follies over the years regardless of what party they claim to represent.
- Pedro, Dubai UAE, 12/01/2009 15:51
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Keith Price, Luton. Are you serious!!! your comment that "Cameron makes up so much nonsense that it is almost impossible to believe a word the guy says" is so unreal as to be laughable!!!. Where have you been for the last 10 years under Blair/Brown & now Brown/Darling & the world of "spin". The problem with the UK is that people like you actually seem to believe what Blair/Brownb said & voted for them. now we're ALL paying the "price" of you stupidity.
- Malcolm, London, 12/01/2009 15:44
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Keith is right and Ken Clarke is the guy with the wherewithall to do it. So Dave - this is not the time for likes and dislikes -its time for action by someone with real experience and Ken's your man
- John, Leighton Buzzard, Beds, 12/01/2009 15:05
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Keith Price spouting your usual nonsense. Are you a paid member of the (no)labour party? How can anyone with more than one brain cell support Brown and his fellow bozos? This unelected loser is building a client state on the backs of hard working Ebglish tax payers and spendoing untold billions to keep him in number 10. Unbelievable that there are still those who support him..
- Andrew, London, 12/01/2009 14:55
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Here is someone who has never had a proper working job-what does he know-absolutely nothing.
As soon as we have to start paying for Gordon's follies by higher taxes etc i'm off from the UK together with many others to whom i have been chatting.
I cannot understand the PM he seems to have some vicious streak in him together with a class problem added to by a supersilious smile-sickening.
- Harvey Lawrence, London UK, 12/01/2009 14:51
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This all asumes that the UK Government can raise the money - the Germans tried last week to raise money by selling bonds - no one bought them. Just who is going to buy the Gilts that the UK Gov is going to issue? and what happens if they dont?? I bet there is no plan B.
- Jeremy E, London, 12/01/2009 14:21
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Mr Cameron, I think you will find that some of the money is because of you leading such a weak impotent Opposition party. You should be miles ahead in any polls but unfortunately as we watch a dangerous arrogant Government dismantling our Country we have a weak and totally ineffectual Tory party. You need to urgently up the 'anti' and kick some ar**.
- Roger, Surrey, 12/01/2009 14:15
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Cameron makes up so much nonsense that it is almost impossible to believe a word the guy says. He needs to replace the loosecannon George Osborne with someone who knows the first thing about macro economics
- Keith Price, Luton, England, 12/01/2009 13:11
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Crash Gordon says it's OK it is a GLOBAL problem. What he does not say is that the UK is the poorest prepared. Ten years of debt building is the only thing Crash has done...
- Win, London, 12/01/2009 12:55
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Debt in Britain is spiralling out of control, and as a new father myself not so long ago i can say that it is not a good idea to have children in the current climate.
With companies going crazy for money, and people facing record debt, when you have maternity leave and have almost no monthly income, you will get nothing but stress from the Mortgage company, Energy suppliers, Car loan companies, you will not be able to enjoy your time with your new child.
Something needs to be done asap about this debt, something that does not make thousands of people homeless.
Britain is in a "state of emergency"
- Ben Whitehead, Rugby, Great Britain, 12/01/2009 11:47
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To get the money back from our Masters of the Universe we should offer any informant who advises us about Tax Evasion ten percent of the recovered money. I'm sure a number of ex-Bank employees must know who the greedy gits are and a few successful prosecutions and prison sentences would surely encourage a new era of openness in the City. This would shift the debt to those who caused it and deserve to suffer.
- R Rogers, Kilburn England, 12/01/2009 11:47
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'Won't somebody think of the children!'
The first option of the cynical politian - conjure up a pitiful child that's suffering at the hands of your opponent. Presumably the government plan to tax the rest of us too, those of us in employment already, those of us who have already benefitted from the boom that has preceded (and created) this bust. Here's an idea David, why not promise a retrospective windfall tax on all those who became millionaires under New Labour? Or all those who bought a flat for £100 000 and sold it for £250 000, ask them to stump up the '£17000' for some poor kiddie winkie.
Brown was dumb to promise and end to boom and bust; everyone knew a bust was coming, but don't pretend there hasn't been a boom. We aren't going to find a way out of this one by keeping our fingers crossed - some money's got to be spent. Taxing those who've really been binging for the last 10 years would be a nice start (though I'm not serious about the retrospective tax - a nicely progressive income tax would be a start).
- Gareth, London, 12/01/2009 11:42
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I think that David Cameron is right. This government is taking us down a very slippery slope. It should start by cutting out the waste on Quangos and other bureaucratic nonsense.
- John William Coopey, CHELTENHAM, UK, 12/01/2009 11:33
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But Crash Gordon is not admitting defeat he thinks he can go for double that debt! The Pound Sterling than will not exist anymore it will be the New Pound and it will be worthless but only Crash Gordon will have the printing press printing day and night...
- Steveo, Islington, London, 12/01/2009 11:32
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Gordon Brown is a short-term control freak who should, in all honesty, step down or be locked up.
- Rob, London, 12/01/2009 11:21
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This is extraordinary. How this bungling man can remain in his un-elected office!
- Georgie, London NW1, 12/01/2009 11:20
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He's right. Brown has trashed our country.
- Albert Hall, Carshalton, England, 12/01/2009 11:19
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While they are at it with posters why not "Labours not working II - The Empire Falls Back " and "New Labour New Danger - We told you so!"
- Jon L, Uk, 12/01/2009 11:16
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its a sad thing to admit that a politician of any persuation is right but Cameron in this instance is right - perhaps he flipped a coin
- Jeff Harvey, bristol, 12/01/2009 11:10
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Well said but sadly all to late I fear. By the time they're ousted the debt will be in place and the damage will be one. A high taxation climate will only ensure that many of the brighest people look overseas for employment. I wouldn't mind if we had seen any real value for this spending binge but nobody can claim we have a better country than a decade ago - just more public sector jobs, political correctness, health & safety. We must start to repair this massive deficit as soon as possible, accepting the requirements of the currecnt economic climate, but I see no desire from Labour to curb their spending habits and I'm afraid that's why we so desperately need a change of thinking, which can only come from their removal. They're addicted to spending and know nothing else.
- David B, Manchester, 12/01/2009 11:02
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The solution to the problem is a massive reduction to the public employee's that have been assembled to check ,double check and create micro monitoring of every function. The pensions and unesessary high salaries of the managers MP's Quango,s and virtually all NHS staff over £30,000 needs to be addressed immediately.The public sector unions who donate up to £20M a year to the labour party in return for their immunity from reality needs investigating by the police for corruption to a political party. The public are paying the bill in the end.
- Victor T Radford, Oldham, 12/01/2009 10:50
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Well I hope it brings home to those people who haven't thought about it what a financial black hole Brown has got us into.
- Fergus Mcivor, London,England, 12/01/2009 10:46
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If £17,000 is all our children end up owing it is as they say a 'conservative' estimate - at the present rate principles of decency financeand common sense are heamoraging out of the goverment departments like a tusami - we need an election ASAP to ensure we can have some common sense long terms policies of survivial for our grandchildren
- Jim Allen, Guildford Surrey, 12/01/2009 10:39
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Fair enough David but instead of clever advertising slogans can we hear your fantastic alternative solution instead?
- Chris Picken, Billingham, UK., 12/01/2009 10:38
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Can someone explain this futher??
What does the Debt mean?
Is it paid back in taxes??
- Keith Burtwistle, Nottingham, 12/01/2009 10:33
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