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Austerity May Last Beyond 2020, Says Cameron
The Prime Minister admits the economic crisis is
worse than expected and warns he cannot predict
the cuts will end.
David Cameron has admitted he cannot envisage a
when the austerity programme will end and failed to rule
spending cuts lasting until
least 2020.
The Prime Minister welcomed falling inflation as a good
but admitted the economic crisis had been far worse than expected and could blight Britain
years.
Mr Cameron,
an interview with The Daily Telegraph, said: "This is a period
all countries, not just in Europe but I think you
see it in America too, where we have to deal
our deficits and we have to have sustainable debts.
"I can't see any
soon when the pressure will be
."
He added: "I don't see a time
difficult spending choices are going to go
. We are
a very difficult situation. There is some good news, we've just seen inflation fall
.
"But I don't deny
a minute that it is a lot tougher than the forecasters
expecting.
"We've had
of the longest and deepest recessions
decades in Britain. It was an incredibly tough set of circumstances and it has proved very hard to get
of those situations.
"But I think the plan we have has
people confidence that the Government has a grip and knows what
to be done."
The initial austerity programme launched by the coalition
supposed to end by 2015, when the Tories and Lib Dems
hoping to claim they had turned
the economy.
It was extended
2017 by Chancellor George Osborne last autumn because of ongoing problems,
have now seen the UK economy slip back
recession.
Cabinet Secretary Sir Jeremy Heywood warned last month
the fiscal reform challenge facing public services across the board could stretch as
as 2020.
his interview, Mr Cameron insisted the continued need for belt-
did not rule out the possibility of tax cuts.
"You can
exciting and radical and Conservative things at the same
as having difficult overall spending choices," he said.
A new poll has suggested that public confidence
the coalition to deal with the economic crisis has more than halved since it
to power to just 28%.
However,
Prime Minister said he did not believe people had made up their
.
He said: "I think the sense I get from people is, 'Look, I know you've
to cut public spending, I know you've got to
the deficit down, I know you've got to
sure our businesses are competitive. I know you've got to do
these things, but I want to know that as we get
of this mess, it won't be the same group of people that benefited
the past.
"There won't be a splurge of public spending, mass immigration, wasted money
welfare, bankers paying themselves enormous salaries when they're not delivering safe and effective banks. I want to know that
future a hard day's work means a
day's pay'."
Labour leader Ed Miliband criticised Mr Cameron, claiming his warning
further "grim" news for an already-struggling public and that he should
be focused on taking action.
"The Prime Minister simply telling people that there is nothing
the horizon and they are going to carry
as they are not only says something about his approach but it is not good
confidence either," he said.
Adapted and abridged from: Sky News, July 19, 2012.
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