Cameron proclaims “day of judgment”
By Alex Stevenson
David Cameron called on Gordon Brown “for one last time” to admit his claim that New Labour had ended boom and bust was false in the Commons before today’s Budget.
The Conservative leader spoke of the “human tragedy” of the recession indicated by today’s unemployment figures and said the prime minister should admit his failings “on this day of judgment”.
Mr Brown insisted that because inflation and interest rates remained low the current recession was not the same as earlier economic downturns.
“He knows perfectly well we’re dealing with a banking crisis that is not affecting the rest of the economy,” he pressed. “You cannot cut your way out of recession.”
The biggest cheer of the exchange, however, was not related to the economy. It occurred when the prime minister referred to David Cameron’s time as chief adviser to the chancellor during the early 1990s.
“Perhaps we can talk about your chief advisers and what they’re up to,” Mr Cameron responded, to prolonged shouts and jeers from the opposition benches.
“It’s about time this prime minister realised as well as bringing his country to the brink financially, he’s brought this country to moral bankruptcy as well.”
