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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.