David Cameron launches defence of spending cuts in Tory conference speech

Published on Wednesday 6 October 2010 17:07

DAVID Cameron today used his first speech as Prime Minister at a Conservative Party Conference to defend the upcoming public spending cuts.

Addressing party delegates at Birmingham's Symphony Hall, Mr Cameron attacked Labour's economic policy, reasserting the Conservative stance that cuts now will mean prosperity in the future.

He said: "I wish there was another way. But I have to tell you, there is no other responsible way. Back in May, we inherited public finances that can be described in no other way than 'catastrophic'.

"This year we're going to spend 43 billion on debt interests alone, not to pay off the debt, just to stand still. That's why we've acted decisively to stop pouring your hard earned money down the drain.

"It's stopped us slipping into the nightmare we've seen in Greece. Our emergency budget showed the world that Britain is back on the path to fiscal responsibility. And the man we have to thank for that is George Osborne."

• As it happened: Cameron's speech at the Tory Conference

• Webchat: Tom Peterkin discusses the speech

The other major theme of the Prime Minister's speech was his vision of a 'big society', in which he sees central government handing over more powers to the people.

He said: "The cynics were wrong in the 1970s and we can prove them wrong again. We can build a society where we say 'I am not alone, I will play my part, I will work with others to give Britain a brand new start'."

He made a joking reference to a girl who sent 1 of her tooth fairy money to Number 10 to help with the budget deficit, and in his closing comments he said: "It takes two to build that big society. You step forward and seize that opportunity.

"Come on, let's pull together, let's work together in the national interest."

Mr Cameron made only the shortest of references to his scrapping of child benefits for those in the highest tax band, an issue that sent shockwaves through the conference earlier in the week.

He also made fleeting statements on the release of the Lockerbie bomber - "It was wrong, it undermined our standing in the world" - and the union: "We are weaker apart, we are stronger together, and together is how we must remain."

He made a commitment to pulling combat troops out of Afghanistan by 2015, and that nothing had shocked him since entering Number 10 more than "the catastrophic state of the defence budget".

Mr Cameron defended his decision to form a coalition government following this year's general election: "I can tell you, Nick (Clegg, Lib Dem leader) and I didn't agree about everything ... But we recognised that we could work together. Not just lots of shared values, but a shared way of doing business. Reasonable debate, not tribal dividing lines."

Although he did not attack new Labour leader Ed Miliband directly, Mr Cameron did use his speech to attack their record in government, with the economy being the main target.

He said: "Labour, you want us to spend more money on ourselves today, and to leave it to our children to pay our debts tomorrow. That is selfish and responsible. These politicians must never ever be allowed anywhere near our economy ever again."

Although Mr Cameron received a standing ovation as custom dictates, it was noted that his speech failed to enliven the spirits of a relatively downbeat conference as much as it might have.