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THOSE CUTS - WHO'S SAYING WHAT? 14.9.09
From Politics Home
Philip Hammond, Shadow Chief Secretary to the Treasury
Sky News
Mr Hammond delivered a broadside to the government�s position on public spending cuts, accusing them of �pussy footing around the argument�.
He said: �We made it clear there have to be cuts in public spending and let's be clear, the government, while it's pussy footing around the argument, has not been honest about that.�
He added that before the parties can have a debate about public spending priorities, the Labour Party has to be clearer about the necessity of public spending cuts.
�We need to hear from the Prime Minister clear language that Labour accepts that there has to be cuts in public spending.�
His remarks come as Lord Mandelson prepares to outline government spending plans in a speech which some see as paving the way for public spending cuts.
Mr Hammond defended the Conservatives� spending proposals on health, saying: "We've made it clear already that we will guarantee annual real-term increase in health spending.
Lord Mandelson, Business Secretary
� Today, Radio 4
Lord Mandelson said that the every area of public spending would be examined by the government in bidding to cut the budget deficit, but questioned the level of savings to be made from cancelling big public spending projects.
"Everything is going to have to be examined, that's exactly the point I am making, and the departments are going to do this and they have got to have the time and opportunity to do so," he said.
Though he did not give specific areas that would be cut, he said the government would be "explicit about the different priorities where something where we would otherwise have wanted to spend more on would no longer be the case."
Asked if this could include big public spending programme such as the renewal of Trident, he said: "Of course the government will consider all these options but that doesn't mean to say that the assumptions that some people are making about the savings that those big projects would offer would actually come about in reality."
He also rejected suggestions that the main political parties were now making similar cases for reducing the budget deficit.
"What distinguishes us from the Conservatives, is that they want the deficit reduction plan that we want to take on to be a public service reduction plan," he said.
He added: "They believe in a smaller government, in a smaller state and that's why they're rather salivating at the prospect of wielding and axe over public services.
Time for Labour to start using the C-word
A majority of political observers across the spectrum believe that it would benefit Labour to start talking about �cuts�. (And the Downing Street spokesman seems to agree).
Lord Mandelson went out of his way this morning on the Today programme to avoid mentioning the word, but a majority of the UK�s political community now believe that it would be beneficial to the Labour party if it started openly talking about �cuts�.
Previously ministers have preferred to use language such as �tough choices�, �restraint�, and �a new shape of public spending� when recognising the pressures on the public finances.
However, as Gordon Brown prepares to speak at the TUC tomorrow, fifty five per cent of the PoliticsHome Phi100 � which includes senior ministers, opposition frontbenchers, leading media commentators, party strategists and think tank heads � hold the view that it would be beneficial for Labour to start using the word.
This morning, a number 10 spokesman added to speculation about the content of Brown�s speech, saying that the Prime Minister had �no problem� with using the term, and some Whitehall departments were already cutting expenditure.
Shifty
A non-aligned media panellist argued that it was �too late� to start using the term now, and that to do so would be seen as �another U-turn�.
A Conservative MP, however, said �Everyone knows there will be cuts so there is no point in his refusing to say so. It looked plain silly to refuse to answer the questions on Today.�
A Lib Dem agreed, saying �Whatever word is used will be unpopular but a word other than cuts simply makes them look shifty as well.�
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