PMQs argument continues
Lib Dem leader Nick Clegg has rebuked Gordon Brown’s “repeated mischaracterisation of Liberal Democrat policy on public spending”, in a letter to the prime minister.
The two engaged in a fiery dispute about Lib Dem and Labour’s relative public spending ideas during yesterday’s prime minister’s questions.
Mr Clegg accused the Labour government of “wasting” in excess of £20 billion on a faulty NHS computer system, an invasive surveillance database, and controversial ID cards.
“The Liberal party wants to cut £20 billion out of public spending. That would be the wrong course for this country”, Mr Brown said in rebuttal.
“On numerous occasions you have deliberately misrepresented Liberal Democrat economic policy,” Mr Clegg wrote in response.
Lamenting that the prime minister “cannot tell the difference between redirecting and cutting public money”, Mr Clegg further explained his party’s plans.
“The Liberal Democrat policy is to identify £20 billion of government spending which is either wasteful or ineffective and to re-allocate it to Liberal Democrat priorities in areas such as education and care for the elderly.”
Mr Clegg also attacked the prime minister’s refusal to recognise the Labour public spending figures he cited during their PMQ dispute. In his letter, the Lib Dem leader cites the source of these figures, which total over £24 billion.
Mr Clegg concluded his letter: “I believe that a frank debate about each political party’s position on economic policy is a valuable part of the public debate as the recession deepens. However, this debate is only worthwhile if it is based on fact not fiction.”
