As the general election approaches the Liberal Democrats are distancing themselves from Tory spending plans. According to them these cuts beyond 2017-18 will lead to "Dickensian" public services, the Liberal Democrat chief secretary, Danny Alexander, said in comments exposing coalition splits over public spending and the deficit. 'Alexander said that "as a country we should not be wedded to austerity for austerity's stake", adding that he thought the UK would not support an ideological drive for an ever smaller state." (Guardian, 13 January) The coalition was committed to eliminating the current structural deficit by 2017-18, a target that would require cuts of £30bn, he said, but it would be "grossly unfair" to try to reach that figure by spending reductions alone, with £12bn of those cuts coming from welfare. Despite all the fine words both parties are committed to gigantic welfare cuts. RD
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