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Miliband rubbishes Tory accusations about ‘uncosted’ Labour spending plans Miliband rubbishes Tory accusations about ‘uncosted’ Labour spending plans
(about 1 hour later)
Ed Miliband has declared his party is firmly anchored in the centre ground as he launches his election campaign, and dismissed Conservative claims about the cost of Labour spending plans as “nonsense”.Ed Miliband has declared his party is firmly anchored in the centre ground as he launches his election campaign, and dismissed Conservative claims about the cost of Labour spending plans as “nonsense”.
Ahead of a rally in Manchester on Monday, the Labour leader described the election as a once-in-a-generation choice about who the country worked for.Ahead of a rally in Manchester on Monday, the Labour leader described the election as a once-in-a-generation choice about who the country worked for.
He will later urge activists to go out and have more than 4m conversations with voters, and promise to hold people’s question time events every week until May. Saying he was on a “crusade to change the country”, he will later urge activists to go out and have more than 4m conversations with voters, and promise to hold people’s question time events every week until May.
However, in a sign the gloves are now off in the election battle, the Conservatives will try to overshadow the speech by lining up cabinet big-hitters to make claims based on Treasury figures about the cost of Labour’s 2015-16 spending plans in areas including education, media, tax and home affairs.However, in a sign the gloves are now off in the election battle, the Conservatives will try to overshadow the speech by lining up cabinet big-hitters to make claims based on Treasury figures about the cost of Labour’s 2015-16 spending plans in areas including education, media, tax and home affairs.
The Conservatives will field five senior Tory cabinet ministers – George Osborne, Nicky Morgan, Theresa May, Sajid Javid and William Hague – to argue that Labour’s policies amount to £21bn of extra spending in the first year of a new parliament.The Conservatives will field five senior Tory cabinet ministers – George Osborne, Nicky Morgan, Theresa May, Sajid Javid and William Hague – to argue that Labour’s policies amount to £21bn of extra spending in the first year of a new parliament.
They will say their claims are based on a Treasury analysis of opposition spending, which will be published on the government’s official website, as well as “other reliable sources”.They will say their claims are based on a Treasury analysis of opposition spending, which will be published on the government’s official website, as well as “other reliable sources”.
Speaking on BBC Radio 5, Miliband rubbished the Conservative accusations, saying Labour made a cast-iron guarantee that none of its spending claims were uncosted. Speaking on BBC Radio 5, Miliband rubbished the Conservative accusations, saying Labour made a cast-iron guarantee that none of its spending claims was uncosted.
“I notice the prime minister said on Friday they were going to run a positive campaign,” he said. “Well, that didn’t last very long, did it? The Institute for Fiscal Studies, a respected body, said we’d been the most cautious in making spending commitments. And we said something that no political party had ever said before: we want the Office for Budget Responsibility to do an audit of our manifesto.“I notice the prime minister said on Friday they were going to run a positive campaign,” he said. “Well, that didn’t last very long, did it? The Institute for Fiscal Studies, a respected body, said we’d been the most cautious in making spending commitments. And we said something that no political party had ever said before: we want the Office for Budget Responsibility to do an audit of our manifesto.
“There will be no unfunded commitment in our manifesto, nothing that won’t be paid for either from tax changes or from spending reductions elsewhere.”“There will be no unfunded commitment in our manifesto, nothing that won’t be paid for either from tax changes or from spending reductions elsewhere.”
Labour acknowledges that the Treasury is allowed to make such calculations but Ed Balls, the shadow chancellor, has written to Nicholas Macpherson, the permanent secretary at the Treasury, to demand a right to examine the underlying assumptions of such figures.Labour acknowledges that the Treasury is allowed to make such calculations but Ed Balls, the shadow chancellor, has written to Nicholas Macpherson, the permanent secretary at the Treasury, to demand a right to examine the underlying assumptions of such figures.
Labour is furious after Cameron claimed over the weekend that the party would cost the country an extra £13.5bn in debt interest, based on Treasury figures, saying this was founded on “blatantly false and politically motivated assumptions” provided by Tory advisers.Labour is furious after Cameron claimed over the weekend that the party would cost the country an extra £13.5bn in debt interest, based on Treasury figures, saying this was founded on “blatantly false and politically motivated assumptions” provided by Tory advisers.
The rival events and claims are early skirmishes in what is likely to be a brutal battle for dominance of the airwaves and newspaper column inches in the months ahead.The rival events and claims are early skirmishes in what is likely to be a brutal battle for dominance of the airwaves and newspaper column inches in the months ahead.
The Liberal Democrat leader, Nick Clegg, will also weigh into the fray on Monday morning with a press conference in which he will claim voters need to back his party if they want another coalition. Presenting the Lib Dems as the occupants of the centre ground, he will say Conservatives are like mobile phone salesmen who signed you up to a contract then cut the number of calls you could make, while Labour is like an ex-boyfriend leaving late-night voicemails asking for one more chance.The Liberal Democrat leader, Nick Clegg, will also weigh into the fray on Monday morning with a press conference in which he will claim voters need to back his party if they want another coalition. Presenting the Lib Dems as the occupants of the centre ground, he will say Conservatives are like mobile phone salesmen who signed you up to a contract then cut the number of calls you could make, while Labour is like an ex-boyfriend leaving late-night voicemails asking for one more chance.
Miliband’s speech will go first, setting out how Labour will offer “hope, not falsehood”.Miliband’s speech will go first, setting out how Labour will offer “hope, not falsehood”.
He told the BBC that Labour was a party in the centre of the political spectrum after Tony Blair was quoted in the Economist suggesting Miliband was approaching the election too much from the left to win the election – which the former prime minister later claimed had been misinterpreted.He told the BBC that Labour was a party in the centre of the political spectrum after Tony Blair was quoted in the Economist suggesting Miliband was approaching the election too much from the left to win the election – which the former prime minister later claimed had been misinterpreted.
“He himself actually said that he’d been totally misrepresented and that’s not what he thinks,” Miliband said. “We’re a party firmly in the centre ground of politics and this is where I think the centre ground is: I think people want a society where people who do well are properly rewarded but also where there is fairness and that everyone who works hard is properly rewarded. They do want a country where the energy companies and the banks are brought to heel and actually made to work for the country and not themselves.”“He himself actually said that he’d been totally misrepresented and that’s not what he thinks,” Miliband said. “We’re a party firmly in the centre ground of politics and this is where I think the centre ground is: I think people want a society where people who do well are properly rewarded but also where there is fairness and that everyone who works hard is properly rewarded. They do want a country where the energy companies and the banks are brought to heel and actually made to work for the country and not themselves.”
Labour has a stubborn, though narrow, lead in the vast majority of surveys but both Cameron and Miliband concede the election is going to be an extremely close contest. Although this is the first proper day of campaigning after the Christmas break, the Tories and Labour have already locked horns on the economy and NHS – the two issues likely to dominate the race.Labour has a stubborn, though narrow, lead in the vast majority of surveys but both Cameron and Miliband concede the election is going to be an extremely close contest. Although this is the first proper day of campaigning after the Christmas break, the Tories and Labour have already locked horns on the economy and NHS – the two issues likely to dominate the race.
Labour claimed the NHS would not survive another Tory government, while the Conservatives said a Labour government would lead to economic chaos.Labour claimed the NHS would not survive another Tory government, while the Conservatives said a Labour government would lead to economic chaos.
The two parties have also both launched their first campaign posters, both of which have been challenged over their accuracy. A Conservative party advertisement said the deficit had halved, when in fact it is only down in cash terms by about a third.The two parties have also both launched their first campaign posters, both of which have been challenged over their accuracy. A Conservative party advertisement said the deficit had halved, when in fact it is only down in cash terms by about a third.
The Tories hit back at Labour’s poster, showing an airbrushed picture of Cameron next to a slogan saying public spending would fall to 1930s levels. Critics argue this too should have the caveat “as a proportion of GDP”.The Tories hit back at Labour’s poster, showing an airbrushed picture of Cameron next to a slogan saying public spending would fall to 1930s levels. Critics argue this too should have the caveat “as a proportion of GDP”.
Labour’s claims on the poster forced Cameron to defend the scale of his party’s plans to slash public spending by £25bn in an interview on the BBC’s Andrew Marr Show on Sunday.Labour’s claims on the poster forced Cameron to defend the scale of his party’s plans to slash public spending by £25bn in an interview on the BBC’s Andrew Marr Show on Sunday.
While Labour portrayed the Tories as economic extremists making cuts for ideological reasons, Cameron insisted these “adjustments” would be moderate, sensible and reasonable.While Labour portrayed the Tories as economic extremists making cuts for ideological reasons, Cameron insisted these “adjustments” would be moderate, sensible and reasonable.
He said it was Miliband’s plans that would lead to “real poverty” and claimed the prospect of Labour and the Liberal Democrats running the economy was genuinely frightening.He said it was Miliband’s plans that would lead to “real poverty” and claimed the prospect of Labour and the Liberal Democrats running the economy was genuinely frightening.
“Why do we need to do this? It is not some ideological obsession. It is not because we’re desiccated accountants. It is because I think it’s right for our country, it’s right for future generations, and at the end of seven years of economic growth, by 2018 we should start not borrowing but putting aside money for a rainy day, to be saving money for when storms in the future might hit,” he said.“Why do we need to do this? It is not some ideological obsession. It is not because we’re desiccated accountants. It is because I think it’s right for our country, it’s right for future generations, and at the end of seven years of economic growth, by 2018 we should start not borrowing but putting aside money for a rainy day, to be saving money for when storms in the future might hit,” he said.
Following Lib Dem claims about the potential impact of defence cuts, he said the overall manpower of the armed forces would not decline further. But he would not say whether Britain would continue to meet its Nato obligation to spend 2% of GDP on the military.Following Lib Dem claims about the potential impact of defence cuts, he said the overall manpower of the armed forces would not decline further. But he would not say whether Britain would continue to meet its Nato obligation to spend 2% of GDP on the military.
With the political atmosphere heating up, Ukip will also begin to flesh out its policies in more detail within days, with its leader, Nigel Farage, promising a series of speeches on areas outside his usual topics of the EU and immigration.With the political atmosphere heating up, Ukip will also begin to flesh out its policies in more detail within days, with its leader, Nigel Farage, promising a series of speeches on areas outside his usual topics of the EU and immigration.
As the Tories fight to win back voters who have defected to Ukip, the prime minister hinted on Sunday that his party could be open to holding an earlier European Union referendum and twice refused to speculate on the possibility of a deal with Farage’s party after the election.As the Tories fight to win back voters who have defected to Ukip, the prime minister hinted on Sunday that his party could be open to holding an earlier European Union referendum and twice refused to speculate on the possibility of a deal with Farage’s party after the election.
A senior Tory source later played down the EU plan, saying the difficulty of negotiations would mean it could probably only be done a few months early.A senior Tory source later played down the EU plan, saying the difficulty of negotiations would mean it could probably only be done a few months early.