David Cameron: I won’t back down over austerity

DAVID Cameron and Nick Clegg will today insist that there is no turning back on their programme of economic austerity as they attempt to relaunch the coalition government.

On the second anniversary of their press conference in the Downing Street rose garden which brought the Tories and Liberal Democrats together in government, the two men will try to bounce back from poor local election results last week which saw their parties lose hundreds of councillors.

The two standing together is also meant to be a sign that Mr Cameron will not buckle under pressure from right-wing backbenchers who want him to reject Lib Dem policies such as introducing gay marriage and reforming the House of Lords as some of them prepare an alternative Queen’s speech.

They will also address criticism of their economic strategy, which Labour leader Ed Miliband has claimed was the reason voters turned to his party.

With the French voting for anti-austerity President Francois Hollande, the coalition has come under pressure to adopt a new strategy of growth and jobs.

But in his speech in Essex today, Mr Cameron will say that cause of the current economic problems, and the fact the UK has gone back into recession, is the “mess Labour left”.

He is expected to say: “I don’t hide from the scale of that challenge – or from the message sent by voters in many places in last week’s elections. I’m listening. I’m leading. I get it. There are no closed minds, no closed doors in Downing Street.”

He will go on: “Here is the unvarnished truth. The damage done by the crisis was greater than anyone thought. The first-quarter growth figures have shown a tough task getting even tougher.

“Abroad, the eurozone remains in extreme trouble and is in recession. Oil prices are making life difficult for families around the world. At home, we inherited an economy built on the sands of debt, not on the rock of sustainable investment.

“We set out to change that and we are doing so.”

He will insist that there are two economic priorities.

“First, getting our deficit under control. You can’t borrow your way out of a debt crisis. We can’t burden our children with the costs of paying today’s bills tomorrow.”

But he will promise to build growth by “getting the banks lending” and reducing business regulation, helping small businesses and promoting entrepreneurship.

He will add: “I know that the task of driving our economy forward when faced with the headwinds that are blowing in from the eurozone is a formidable one. But this government is determined to do whatever needs doing to succeed.”