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David Cameron, With Eye on Next Election, Tries to Rouse His Base British Leader, With Eye on Next Election, Tries to Rouse Conservative Party
(about 2 hours later)
BIRMINGHAM, England — Prime Minister David Cameron of Britain tried on Wednesday to rouse his Conservative Party to a victory in May by promising tax cuts, new “starter homes” for first-time buyers under age 40 and no spending reductions for the National Health Service.BIRMINGHAM, England — Prime Minister David Cameron of Britain tried on Wednesday to rouse his Conservative Party to a victory in May by promising tax cuts, new “starter homes” for first-time buyers under age 40 and no spending reductions for the National Health Service.
The Conservatives, who were forced into a coalition government in 2010, face a difficult challenge to win an overall majority in May. The opposition Labour Party has a built-in geographical advantage and can win with a smaller percentage of the votes, while Mr. Cameron also faces a threat to the right from the anti-immigration, anti-European Union U.K. Independence Party, or UKIP, led by the roguish, popular, beer-drinking Nigel Farage.The Conservatives, who were forced into a coalition government in 2010, face a difficult challenge to win an overall majority in May. The opposition Labour Party has a built-in geographical advantage and can win with a smaller percentage of the votes, while Mr. Cameron also faces a threat to the right from the anti-immigration, anti-European Union U.K. Independence Party, or UKIP, led by the roguish, popular, beer-drinking Nigel Farage.
In a polished and at times emotional speech that closed his party convention, Mr. Cameron mocked Labour and its leader, Ed Miliband, while depicting the election as “a straight fight” between the Conservatives and Labour. “It doesn’t matter if Parliament is hung, drawn or quartered,” Mr. Cameron said. It will be “me in Downing Street or Ed Miliband.”In a polished and at times emotional speech that closed his party convention, Mr. Cameron mocked Labour and its leader, Ed Miliband, while depicting the election as “a straight fight” between the Conservatives and Labour. “It doesn’t matter if Parliament is hung, drawn or quartered,” Mr. Cameron said. It will be “me in Downing Street or Ed Miliband.”
Trying to hold his party together, he said: “If you vote UKIP, that’s really a vote for Labour. On the 7th of May, you could go to bed with Nigel Farage and wake up with Ed Miliband. There’s no part of it that does it for me.”Trying to hold his party together, he said: “If you vote UKIP, that’s really a vote for Labour. On the 7th of May, you could go to bed with Nigel Farage and wake up with Ed Miliband. There’s no part of it that does it for me.”
Mr. Cameron praised British involvement in the coalition against the Islamic State, sometimes known as ISIL, and called it evil. “Unless we deal with ISIL, they will deal with us, bringing terror and murder to our streets,” he said. And he warned any Briton who planned to travel to Iraq or Syria to fight alongside the Islamic State: “You have declared your allegiance. You are an enemy of the U.K., and you should expect to be treated as such.” Mr. Cameron praised the British involvement in the coalition against the Islamic State, known as ISIS or ISIL, and called it evil. “Unless we deal with ISIL, they will deal with us, bringing terror and murder to our streets,” he said. And he warned any Briton planning to travel to Iraq or Syria to fight alongside the Islamic State: “You have declared your allegiance. You are an enemy of the U.K., and you should expect to be treated as such.”
But he had little to say otherwise on foreign policy and did not mention the protests in Hong Kong. Neither did the foreign secretary, Philip Hammond, who spoke before him.But he had little to say otherwise on foreign policy and did not mention the protests in Hong Kong. Neither did the foreign secretary, Philip Hammond, who spoke before him.
Mr. Cameron called the week before the referendum on Scotland the “most nerve-racking” of his life, but said he was right to allow Scots the right to choose, to clear up the issue. He made an analogy to his pledge to give Britons an in-or-out referendum on membership in the European Union in 2017 – if he remained prime minister, and after efforts to negotiate a better deal for Britain. Mr. Cameron called the week before the referendum on Scotland the “most nerve-racking” of his life, but said he was right to allow Scots the right to choose, to clear up the issue. He made an analogy to his pledge to give Britons a referendum on membership in the European Union in 2017 — if he remained prime minister, and after efforts to negotiate a better deal for Britain.
Only the Conservatives could guarantee such a referendum, he said, not the Independence Party. And he promised a “British Bill of Rights” in the next Parliament, while criticizing the European Court of Human Rights in Strasbourg, France. He vowed that convicts in British prisons would not get the vote no matter what the European court said.Only the Conservatives could guarantee such a referendum, he said, not the Independence Party. And he promised a “British Bill of Rights” in the next Parliament, while criticizing the European Court of Human Rights in Strasbourg, France. He vowed that convicts in British prisons would not get the vote no matter what the European court said.
Mr. Cameron tried to deal with the sensitive immigration issue by promising to push for restrictions on European migrants’ right to come to Britain. “When it comes to free movement,” he said, “I will get what Britain needs.” But he did not pledge to do the impossible, which would be to renounce the European Union’s fundamental principle of freedom of movement of citizens among member states.Mr. Cameron tried to deal with the sensitive immigration issue by promising to push for restrictions on European migrants’ right to come to Britain. “When it comes to free movement,” he said, “I will get what Britain needs.” But he did not pledge to do the impossible, which would be to renounce the European Union’s fundamental principle of freedom of movement of citizens among member states.
He tried to deflect one of Labour’s central campaign pledges, to “save” the National Health Service from Conservative spending cuts, by promising to “ring fence” spending on the highly popular service offering largely free health care to all. He grew emotional when he said he resented Labour’s accusation that he would harm a service that had treated himself and his wife so lovingly when they had taken a sick child to it. As Britons well know, one of the Camerons’ sons was severely disabled and later died. He tried to deflect one of Labour’s central campaign pledges, to “save” the National Health Service from Conservative spending cuts, by promising to “ring fence” spending on the highly popular service offering largely free health care to all. He grew emotional when he said he resented Labour’s accusation that he would harm a service that had treated him and his wife so lovingly when they had taken a sick child to it. As Britons well know, one of the Camerons’ sons was severely disabled and later died.
He promised to continue cutting the large British deficit in the next Parliament without raising taxes and vowed “to balance the books” by 2018. He said that Britain was now growing faster than any advanced industrial country and that unemployment was falling. He warned that a Labour government would wreck the recovery.He promised to continue cutting the large British deficit in the next Parliament without raising taxes and vowed “to balance the books” by 2018. He said that Britain was now growing faster than any advanced industrial country and that unemployment was falling. He warned that a Labour government would wreck the recovery.
He also promised to keep Britain’s corporate tax rate the lowest in the Group of 20 countries, said he would alter tax rates to allow one million of the lowest-paid workers to pay no income tax and let higher earners to keep more of their income before hitting a higher tax rate. He also promised to keep Britain’s corporate tax rate the lowest in the Group of 20 countries, said he would alter tax rates to allow one million of the lowest-paid workers to pay no income tax and let higher earners keep more of their income before hitting a higher tax rate.
He called the Conservatives a party of aspiration. “We do not do the politics of envy and class war,” he said. “We leave that to others.”He called the Conservatives a party of aspiration. “We do not do the politics of envy and class war,” he said. “We leave that to others.”
Mr. Cameron, in a sharp contrast to Mr. Miliband at his own convention last week, spoke with a teleprompter from a podium. Mr. Miliband spoke with just a few notes, walking a stage, but admitted afterward that he had forgotten sections of his speech dealing with the budget deficit and immigration.Mr. Cameron, in a sharp contrast to Mr. Miliband at his own convention last week, spoke with a teleprompter from a podium. Mr. Miliband spoke with just a few notes, walking a stage, but admitted afterward that he had forgotten sections of his speech dealing with the budget deficit and immigration.
Needless to say, he was widely mocked by the Tories for failing to deal with those important matters. Mr. Cameron reminded Britons that he himself had once famously forgot his young daughter, Nancy, down at the pub after a Sunday lunch. “But if you want to be prime minister of this country, you cannot forget the biggest challenge we face.” Needless to say, Mr. Miliband was widely mocked by the Tories for failing to deal with those important matters. Mr. Cameron reminded Britons that he himself had once famously forgotten his young daughter, Nancy, down at the pub after a Sunday lunch. “But if you want to be prime minister of this country, you cannot forget the biggest challenge we face.”