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Alistair Darling shifted the tax and cuts battle today by pledging to spell out tough choices on public spending before the next election.
He moved away from Gordon Brown's dividing line of Labour spending versus Tory cutbacks, putting the emphasis instead on difficult public spending decisions forced by the recession.
"We have to be clear, as we go into an election - and the Tories will have to be - which choices we are prepared to make," he said. The Chancellor said specific spending promises would be contrasted with alleged Tory cuts in programmes such as the Sure Start centres for children under five, showing to voters the "big differences in priorities and attitude" of the parties.
Mr Brown's attempt to argue that Labour could raise spending while David Cameron's Conservatives would make blanket cuts has flopped amid charges of "dishonesty" from Mr Cameron, who said cuts would be inevitable whoever won the next election.
The Prime Minister hit back by saying politicians should "think twice" before making "crude" personal attacks.
"There is a crudity developed in the language that people use in politics, that people are now accepting as almost everyday language, to accuse people of this or that. I do not make personal attacks," he said.
In an interview with the Independent, Mr Darling conceded there was no immediate prospect of a full-scale review setting out public expenditure because of the state of the economy.
"To do detailed allocations running up to 2013-14 at the moment just does not make any sense," he said.
Reader views (3)
Will the details of spending cuts be blacked out, just as they were the last time you were open and honest?
- Dave Davies, Basingstoke, Hants
"I do not make personal attacks".
GORMLESS BROWN AND JACKBOOT STRAW HAVE ATTACKED THE RIGHTS AND FREEDOMS OF JOE PUBLIC FOR THE PAST 12 YEARS.
Goodbye Gormless. Goodbye Dizzy Darling (him with the stick on caterpillar eyebrows).
- Reuben Camara, Republic of Morecambe, UK
"In an interview with the Independent, Mr Darling conceded there was no immediate prospect of a full-scale review setting out public expenditure because of the state of the economy."
And isn't this the reason we need a spending review !
What a bunch of coconuts in charge of this country.
- William, London
