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David Cameron: I was wrong to call Ed Miliband despicable David Cameron: I was wrong to call Ed Miliband despicable
(35 minutes later)
David Cameron has admitted that he was wrong to call Ed Miliband weak and despicable in the House of Commons in an acknowledgement that political leaders are guilty of using over-the-top language.David Cameron has admitted that he was wrong to call Ed Miliband weak and despicable in the House of Commons in an acknowledgement that political leaders are guilty of using over-the-top language.
The prime minister adopted a modest demeanour when he took questions in the “town hall” section of the Channel 4/Sky News debate after a discomfiting experience at the hands of Jeremy Paxman.The prime minister adopted a modest demeanour when he took questions in the “town hall” section of the Channel 4/Sky News debate after a discomfiting experience at the hands of Jeremy Paxman.
“We do sometimes in the House of Commons use phrases that perhaps afterwards we think were perhaps over the top,” he said when the Sky presenter Kay Burley asked why he had said Miliband had a despicable plan for a post-election deal with the SNP. The prime minister added: “I remember the same day he called me dodgy and something else.”“We do sometimes in the House of Commons use phrases that perhaps afterwards we think were perhaps over the top,” he said when the Sky presenter Kay Burley asked why he had said Miliband had a despicable plan for a post-election deal with the SNP. The prime minister added: “I remember the same day he called me dodgy and something else.”
Cameron reached out to the audience after Paxman, who subjected him to one of his most uncomfortable interviews during the 2010 election campaign, put the prime minister under pressure on areas ranging from his choice of friends to welfare cuts and the EU.Cameron reached out to the audience after Paxman, who subjected him to one of his most uncomfortable interviews during the 2010 election campaign, put the prime minister under pressure on areas ranging from his choice of friends to welfare cuts and the EU.
An unsettled Cameron told Paxman he was “completely unjustified” in questioning the prime minister’s judgment over the appointment of the former HSBC chief executive Lord Green as a minister, the recruitment of Andy Coulson and his warm words about his friend Jeremy Clarkson after the Top Gear host punched a producer. Paxman said: “What do you have in common with all these rich people?”An unsettled Cameron told Paxman he was “completely unjustified” in questioning the prime minister’s judgment over the appointment of the former HSBC chief executive Lord Green as a minister, the recruitment of Andy Coulson and his warm words about his friend Jeremy Clarkson after the Top Gear host punched a producer. Paxman said: “What do you have in common with all these rich people?”
“Let’s take these in turn because that is completely unjustified,” Cameron said. He said that proper procedures had been followed over the appointment of Green and that he did not know the details of the incident when praised Clarkson. “The aspersion you are trying to cast is, I think, completely ridiculous. What I have done over the last five years is lead a government that has got the economy growing.”“Let’s take these in turn because that is completely unjustified,” Cameron said. He said that proper procedures had been followed over the appointment of Green and that he did not know the details of the incident when praised Clarkson. “The aspersion you are trying to cast is, I think, completely ridiculous. What I have done over the last five years is lead a government that has got the economy growing.”
But the prime minister soon found himself under pressure again as Paxman pressed him on his failure to meet his “no ifs, no buts” pledge to cut net migration to the tens of thousands and his failure to meet his deficit reduction plan. Cameron said he knew the government had “borrowed a lot of money” when Paxman asked him to say how much the coalition had borrowed.But the prime minister soon found himself under pressure again as Paxman pressed him on his failure to meet his “no ifs, no buts” pledge to cut net migration to the tens of thousands and his failure to meet his deficit reduction plan. Cameron said he knew the government had “borrowed a lot of money” when Paxman asked him to say how much the coalition had borrowed.
“You are going to tell me, Jeremy,” Cameron said when Paxman asked him to name the figure. The presenter said the figure stood at “a mere £500bn”, prompting the prime minister to say that was less than the last government had borrowed. Paxman shot back: “Not it isn’t. It is more than the previous government borrowed.”“You are going to tell me, Jeremy,” Cameron said when Paxman asked him to name the figure. The presenter said the figure stood at “a mere £500bn”, prompting the prime minister to say that was less than the last government had borrowed. Paxman shot back: “Not it isn’t. It is more than the previous government borrowed.”
The prime minister then said the deficit had fallen by half as share of GDP and that debt as a share of GDP was falling. “We haven’t finished the job. We are working to a plan,” he said.The prime minister then said the deficit had fallen by half as share of GDP and that debt as a share of GDP was falling. “We haven’t finished the job. We are working to a plan,” he said.
Paxman homed in on another area of weakness for the Tories when he asked the prime minister to explain where he would make the planned £12bn cuts in welfare spending. The prime minister declined to spell out where the savings would be made, saying: “That is well within the range of what we can do if continue with the sort of plan we have put in place [in this parliament]. We know there will be difficult decisions but we will have to go through every part of the welfare budget. But we believe just as we have saved £20bn in welfare in this parliament we will be able to find a further £10bn in welfare savings in the next parliament.” Paxman homed in on another area of weakness for the Tories when he asked the prime minister to explain where he would make the planned £12bn cuts in welfare spending. The prime minister declined to spell out where the savings would be made, saying: “That is well within the range of what we can do if we continue with the sort of plan we have put in place [in this parliament]. We know there will be difficult decisions but we will have to go through every part of the welfare budget. But we believe just as we have saved £20bn in welfare in this parliament we will be able to find a further £10bn in welfare savings in the next parliament.”
Miliband had a more confident air as he appeared after Cameron in reverse order – facing the “town hall” questions first followed by his Paxman grilling. The Labour leader showed he had done his homework as he followed the example of Bill Clinton, walking towards the audience with an upbeat message in his first answer.Miliband had a more confident air as he appeared after Cameron in reverse order – facing the “town hall” questions first followed by his Paxman grilling. The Labour leader showed he had done his homework as he followed the example of Bill Clinton, walking towards the audience with an upbeat message in his first answer.
“No, but they could be a lot better and that is the big argument this election,” Miliband said in answer to the first question about why he looked so gloomy and whether he thought things were so bad. “I think this is a choice between those who think this is as good as it gets for Britain and those who think we can do a lot better than this.”“No, but they could be a lot better and that is the big argument this election,” Miliband said in answer to the first question about why he looked so gloomy and whether he thought things were so bad. “I think this is a choice between those who think this is as good as it gets for Britain and those who think we can do a lot better than this.”
The Labour leader admitted that the leadership contest with his brother, David, in 2010 had been bruising. In his grilling with Paxman he spoke of how he had stood up to Barack Obama when he voted no to military action against the Syrian president, Bashar al-Assad, in 2013.The Labour leader admitted that the leadership contest with his brother, David, in 2010 had been bruising. In his grilling with Paxman he spoke of how he had stood up to Barack Obama when he voted no to military action against the Syrian president, Bashar al-Assad, in 2013.
When Paxman said that people believe his brother would have been more effective as leader, Miliband delivered what may be remembered as his best line of the night. “That is obviously not the way I see it. Look, you need a toughness in this job. People have thrown a lot at me over four-and-a-half years. But I am a pretty resilient guy. I have been underestimated at every turn. People said I wouldn’t become leader and I did. People said four years ago: ‘He can’t become prime minister.’ I think I can.”When Paxman said that people believe his brother would have been more effective as leader, Miliband delivered what may be remembered as his best line of the night. “That is obviously not the way I see it. Look, you need a toughness in this job. People have thrown a lot at me over four-and-a-half years. But I am a pretty resilient guy. I have been underestimated at every turn. People said I wouldn’t become leader and I did. People said four years ago: ‘He can’t become prime minister.’ I think I can.”