David Cameron has denied he is abusing his position as Prime Minister after launching personalised attacks on Ed Miliband from the doorstep of Number Ten yesterday.
“The tone was absolutely right,” he told Radio 4’s Today programme during a tour of broadcasting studios this morning. “I don’t think there was anything impolite about yesterday.”
He was being defensive because some papers thought it was a bit much that he came straight back from the Palace – where he’d formally asked the Queen to dissolve Parliament - to use his public office to slag off Miliband.
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Standing in Downing Street, he said the Labour leader would deliver “economic chaos” and added: "Ed Miliband pays lip service to working people while planning to hike taxes and increase debt.”
Today programme presenter Sarah Montague reminded Cameron that he had once said he would “let sunshine rule the day” in British politics. Cameron responded that there was a clear choice before the British electorate - sticking with the plan that worked, or the “chaos” that Ed Miliband would bring.
In short, Cameron is sticking with party strategist Lynton Crosby’s dictat that Ed Miliband’s personality is a key election issue. He name-checked Miliband three times during his doorstep interview.
Dan Hodges, the Daily Telegraph commentator, tweeted: “It is working”. Cameron clearly thinks it’s working too. “Labour would bring chaos - I am going to spend the next 37 days making exactly that argument,” he said. “I make no apology about putting Labour putting up your taxes squarely in this campaign.”
As The Mole reported yesterday, Cameron’s claim that every working family in Britain would face a £3,000 tax hike under Labour was dismissed as nonsense based on dodgy statistics.
Today’s claim by Cameron that the Tories will create 1,000 jobs a day if they are re-elected – getting him the splash in the Daily Telegraph - was also raising eyebrows this morning.
Bill Turnbull on BBC Breakfast TV pointed out to Cameron that the Office of Budget Responsibility was forecasting only half that number of jobs would be created in the next Parliament.
Cameron was dismissive. “The OBR predicted half that number of jobs in the last Parliament and we doubled what they predicted and we believe we can do that again,” he said.
Labour also dismissed the jobs promise, which is based on the coalition’s record in the last Parliament, pointing out that too many of the so-called “new jobs” are actually zero-hours contracts, offering people little security.
The majority of economists reviewing the prospects for the British economy for the Financial Times share the scepticism of the OBR and Labour. They say the scope for further large reductions in unemployment will fall through the year.
There is one bunch of figures that Cameron will not share with the voters – how the Tories' £12bn promised cuts in welfare spending will fall.
Chancellor George Osborne confirmed on Channel 4 News last night that the Tories have no intention of spelling out before polling day which benefits will be cut if the Conservatives are re-elected. Pressed by C4’s Cathy Newman, Osborne repeatedly dodged the question, saying: “We will set out our plans as part of the spending review in the summer.”
Cameron held the line on the Today programme. He said the Tories would reduce the cap on total benefits from £26,000 a year per family to £23,000 a year and freeze unemployment benefit. That would cut £2bn - but where would the extra £10bn come from? He flatly refused to say, even refusing to rule out taxing disability benefits.
The Mole doesn’t expect that line to hold until polling day.
