LONDON (Reuters) - Britain's Conservatives pledged to cut public spending to rein in a huge budget deficit and called for a sweeping overhaul of the economy as they kicked off their campaign for this year's election on Saturday. The Conservatives, favourites to win the vote, stole a march on Prime Minister Gordon Brown's Labour Party by announcing they were going into campaign mode, even though the election could still be five months away. "We are starting our campaign to win the general election today," centre-right Conservative leader David Cameron said in a speech in Oxfordshire. Cameron made clear that the main election battleground will be the economy and how to rein in government borrowing forecast to reach 178 billion pounds this year. The fast-growing national debt was "the greatest single risk to sustained economic recovery," Cameron said. "That's why we've been clear about our intention to cut public spending."
LONDON (Reuters) - Britain's Conservatives pledged to cut public spending to rein in a huge budget deficit and called for a sweeping overhaul of the economy as they kicked off their campaign for this year's election on Saturday.
The Conservatives, favourites to win the vote, stole a march on Prime Minister Gordon Brown's Labour Party by announcing they were going into campaign mode, even though the election could still be five months away.
"We are starting our campaign to win the general election today," centre-right Conservative leader David Cameron said in a speech in Oxfordshire.
Cameron made clear that the main election battleground will be the economy and how to rein in government borrowing forecast to reach 178 billion pounds this year.
The fast-growing national debt was "the greatest single risk to sustained economic recovery," Cameron said. "That's why we've been clear about our intention to cut public spending."
A Conservative government would not rule out raising taxes in order to shrink the UK's soaring deficit, shadow minister Ken Clarke has said.The shadow business secretary told the Sunday Telegraph it would be "folly" to rule out increases, including on VAT, alongside cuts in public spending. "Coming out of a recession when you have such a severe deficit, you can't rule out putting up taxes," he said.
A Conservative government would not rule out raising taxes in order to shrink the UK's soaring deficit, shadow minister Ken Clarke has said.
The shadow business secretary told the Sunday Telegraph it would be "folly" to rule out increases, including on VAT, alongside cuts in public spending.
"Coming out of a recession when you have such a severe deficit, you can't rule out putting up taxes," he said.
Coming out of a recession...
The USA's turn for dark political comedy will come in November. I have little hope it will be less of a farce. But our farce is likely to top yours if only because it is so much larger in scale. What glorious leaders we both have. As the Dutch said while fighting the Spanish: "It is not necessary to have hope in order to persevere."
Expect Ken to be sidelined pretty soon. keep to the Fen Causeway
NuLab's greatest achievement was to demonstrate that they could announce the same money for the same project 3 times in 18 months and get a great headline each and every time. All they want to do is be in charge of the news cycle, they don't want to do anything. Except perhaps line their own pockets.
How will tories do anything, they'll cut services for anybody who earns less than than the average wage. Poor people will get screwed especially hard, people claiming unemployment will be harrassed more because they're scroungers.
Meanwhile they'll put normal people's taxes up. Increasing VAT is a great way to increase inequality because it falls harder on the poor and average wage earners. I imagine that anyone on a salary, however high will find their taxes increasing. After all, the tories don't get salaries cos they own companies, collect dividends or have (tax free) bonuses. Tories don't pay tax, that's what accountants are for.
It won't actually achieve anything, but it will look like activity with purpose and that's all that's necessary. keep to the Fen Causeway
