George Osborne hits out over Budget 'dishonesty'

Published on Monday 15 March 2010 22:10

SHADOW chancellor George Osborne has accused the Prime Minister of being "dishonest" with voters.

The man who hopes to be the next resident at 11 Downing Street claimed Gordon Brown and his ministers were not telling the truth over the need to cut the UK's debt of over 1 trillion.

The attack came just a day after Chancellor Alistair Darling suggested that there would be no new spending cuts in the Budget next week, but refused to rule out tax rises.

And yesterday Education Secretary Ed Balls, Mr Brown's closest political ally, claimed he would be able to increase spending in his department.

Mr Osborne said the Budget "will come down to honesty versus dishonesty" as the parties battle for votes ahead of the general election – which is expected to take place on 6 May.

The government is committed to halving the country's record 178 billion deficit over the next four years, but says Conservative plans for immediate spending cuts would undermine the recovery.

But Mr Osborne said: "You can't conceal the central fact, which is that the country has run out of money and whoever forms the next government is going to have to take some very difficult decisions on spending.

"At the moment, you still have the Prime Minister going around saying it is a choice between investment and cuts – that's just a dishonest approach to British politics.

"You have a Chancellor of the Exchequer, who probably is not going to be in post whoever wins the election, who has a very difficult judgment to make about whether he puts his country before his party.

"The debt is holding back the British recovery and, unless we get confidence into the British recovery – and that comes from dealing with our debts – then we will not be creating the jobs we want to see."

In separate comments Tory leader David Cameron suggested his party would be unveiling proposals to make savings as part of its response to the Budget.

But Labour hit back at Mr Osborne by raising speculation again over whether he would in fact be chancellor if the Tories win following question marks over his recent performances and his standing in the City.

Liam Byrne, Labour's Chief Secretary to the Treasury, added: "George Osborne needs to be honest about the cuts he intends to make to front-line services in just a few months' time.

"He needs to be honest about whether and when he intends to cut National Insurance and the 50p (income tax] rate. He needs to be honest about how he'll pay for his marriage tax plans."