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| Version 0 | Version 1 |
|---|---|
| Cameron says Brown in 'deep hole' | Cameron says Brown in 'deep hole' |
| (31 minutes later) | |
| Conservative leader David Cameron has accused the chancellor of "blowing open" his own arguments - by pledging to cut the basic rate of income tax. | Conservative leader David Cameron has accused the chancellor of "blowing open" his own arguments - by pledging to cut the basic rate of income tax. |
| Mr Cameron said it proved what the Tories had said all along "that you can share the proceeds of growth". | Mr Cameron said it proved what the Tories had said all along "that you can share the proceeds of growth". |
| He said Mr Brown usually saved such pledges for a general election - but was in "a deep hole" over the Labour leadership race. | He said Mr Brown usually saved such pledges for a general election - but was in "a deep hole" over the Labour leadership race. |
| And he said Mr Brown could not run away from his record of putting taxes up. | And he said Mr Brown could not run away from his record of putting taxes up. |
| He told Mr Brown: "You are the chancellor who has taken one tax down but put 99 taxes up. | |
| "The average family is paying £1,300 more because of your Budget decisions." | |
| Billions 'wasted' | |
| He also said the Tories would examine National Insurance as they thought it might be hitting more middle-income families. | |
| He said Mr Brown had wasted billions of pounds on public services with little to show for it. | |
| Mr Cameron added: "His great experiment on tax and spending has failed. He is an out-of-date politician, wedded to state control. And the question that everybody is asking is 'Where has the money gone?'" | |
| He's not just borrowed billions, he's wasted billions - what a wasted opportunity David Cameron | |
| He said that, although the chancellor had boasted of increasing spending on education over the past 10 years, 40% of primary school pupils could not read properly. | |
| And despite pledges to tackle inequality and increase competitiveness, the number of people living in severe poverty was up by 400,000 and Britain had "the biggest tax burden in our history". | |
| On the NHS he said all Mr Brown had done was announce this year's money "which we already knew". | |
| Green taxes | |
| He said borrowing was up and accused the chancellor of running out of money. | |
| "We have had a bonanza of spending on the NHS but nurses are being sacked. | |
| "He brags about people's long-term security but the pension system is shot to pieces... He's not just borrowed billions, he's wasted billions - what a wasted opportunity." | |
| Mr Cameron said Mr Brown had turned his attention to the environment, having failed on public services, inequality and poverty. | |
| Tory activists said Mr Brown had raised taxes 99 times since 1997 | |
| But he said carbon emissions were up and green taxes as a proportion of overall taxation were down since 1997. | |
| Mr Cameron had added that some of the chancellor's policies had already been announced by the Tories, such as the capitalisation of the student loan book and a cut in corporation tax. | |
| And he said the figures showed that spending was going to grow "by 2%, then 2% then 1.9% and the economy is forecast to grow by 2.5% or more in the next three years. | And he said the figures showed that spending was going to grow "by 2%, then 2% then 1.9% and the economy is forecast to grow by 2.5% or more in the next three years. |
| "So what he has just announced is a third fiscal rule - he's sharing the proceeds of growth." | "So what he has just announced is a third fiscal rule - he's sharing the proceeds of growth." |
| Mr Cameron said the Blair-Brown era was coming to an end and Mr Brown was responsible for many policies since Labour came to power in 1997. | Mr Cameron said the Blair-Brown era was coming to an end and Mr Brown was responsible for many policies since Labour came to power in 1997. |
| "The target culture is his culture. The failing schools are his failures. The pension system is broken because he broke it," Mr Cameron said. | "The target culture is his culture. The failing schools are his failures. The pension system is broken because he broke it," Mr Cameron said. |