‘United and steadfast’ – Cameron and Clegg report all is well in coalition

DAVID Cameron and Nick Clegg will today insist the coalition is “steadfast and united” as they mark the halfway point in their government.

The Prime Minister and his deputy will make a rare joint appearance where, in an echo of the Downing Street rose garden press conference that launched the power-sharing government, they will set their priorities for the next two and a half years.

They will insist their sense of shared purpose on the big issues has “grown over time” as they publish a mid-term review that looks back at how successful the government claims it has been in meeting its coalition agreement promises and commits them to further reforms.

In a joint foreword to the report, the PM and Deputy Prime Minister write: “We are dealing with the deficit, rebuilding the economy, reforming welfare and education and supporting hard-working families through tough times. And on all of these key aims, our parties, after 32 months of coalition, remain steadfast and united.

“Of course there have been some issues on which we have not seen eye to eye, and no doubt there will be more. That is the nature of coalition. But on the things that matter most - the big structural reforms needed to secure our country’s long-term future – our resolve and sense of shared purpose have, if anything, grown over time.”

The review, which aides insist is not a relaunch, promises to help families with their childcare costs amid speculation working parents with children under five will receive financial support.

The joint foreword states: “Today, at the half-way point in this parliament, we are taking stock of the progress we have made in implementing the coalition agreement that we signed in May 2010. But we are also initiating a new set of reforms, building on those already under way, to secure our country’s future and help people realise their ambitions.

They add: “Our mission is clear: to get Britain living within its means and earning its way in the world once again.

“Our approach is consistent: to help hard-working families get by and get on, so that everyone can reach their full potential. And our resolve is unwavering: we will continue to put political partisanship to one side to govern in the long-term interests of the country.”

They add: “Our parties came together in the national interest and formed a coalition at a time of real economic danger. The deficit was spiralling out of control, confidence was plummeting, and the world was looking to Britain with growing anxiety about our ability to service our debts.

“This government’s most urgent job was to restore stability in our public finances and confidence in the economy. In just two years we have cut the deficit by a quarter and have set out a credible path towards our goal to balance the budget over the economic cycle.”

Today’s announcement comes after Mr Cameron yesterday insisted the coalition had a “full tank of gas” and indicated he wanted to remain as Prime Minister until 2020.

He said: “I want to fight the next election as the leader of the Conservative Party, I want to win a Conservative majority and I want to serve.”

Asked if that meant staying for five years he replied: “That’s exactly what I have said.”

The Prime Minister also vowed to fight to keep the Falklands in the face of mounting Argentinian rhetoric over the future of the islands.

He also said voters should be “in no doubt” they will be offered a “real choice” on Europe at the next election

He said any vote would happen within five years but refused to be drawn on whether a poll would include the question whether the UK should remain in the European Union.