Top Lib Dem Defends Coalition Spending Cuts
11:07pm UK, Monday September 20, 2010
The top Liberal Democrat in the Treasury has told Sky News he strongly stands behind the Coalition’s economic policies.
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Speaking on Jeff Randall Live, Danny Alexander insisted the partnership with the Conservatives reflects his party’s values.
On the third day of the Liberal Democrat Party Conference in Liverpool he stated that in five years time, “people will see that we have done the right thing”.
“As I stated in my conference speech yesterday the judgement on the deficit – on the speed and pace of deficit reduction – was a shared judgement,” he said.
“One that we reached equally between the two parties based on the economic circumstances in which the country found itself when we came into office.”
Mr Alexander has faced criticism as he has been tasked with imposing the wide-spread and often controversial Government spending cuts.
The Chief Secretary to the Treasury also admitted that not joining the Euro has helped Britain come out of a recession.
His party had previously advocated signing up to the single currency.
“Well I would certainly state to you… that the flexibilities that we have as a result of being outside the Euro have been very helpful to us in the recovery.”
However, he did argue that there may be a long-term case in principle for joining the Euro, “but only when the economic circumstances are right”.
Following Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg’s speech earlier in the day, Mr Alexander said:
“Nick [Clegg] is quite right to state we have got to stick with this programme… We’ve done it for the right reasons and the country is more prosperous and stronger and I think fairer too as a result.”
In his key notes speech, Mr Clegg told his party to “stick with” the Coalition while they try to change Britain for the better and called on delegates to look forward to the next election in 2015.
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Submited at Tuesday, September 21st, 2010 at 12:00 am on Business by ethan
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