Cameron admits 'tough' government spending choices

Mr Cameron admits his current savings plans are not enough to tackle the deficit

David Cameron has said that if elected, the Conservatives would have to make some "very difficult and tough decisions" on government spending.

Speaking to the BBC's Andrew Marr Show, he said while cuts could be "incredibly challenging", the Tories would protect frontline services and the "neediest".

However, Mr Cameron denied his party had yet to reveal 80% of its plans to reduce public sector spending.

All the main parties have been attacked for not revealing their planned cuts.

'Quiet government'

Where the Conservatives differ from Labour and the Liberal Democrats is that they intend to immediately find government savings of £6bn if elected.

I don't give up. I showed in the [final prime ministerial] debate that I was a fighter Gordon Brown

Both the other two main parties do not propose to start putting reductions in place until the start of the next financial year in April 2011, warning that to do so this year could risk a "double dip" recession.

Mr Cameron told Andrew Marr that while a Conservative government would have to go on and find savings above this figure to trim the UK's public deficit, he did not accept that his party had only revealed 20% of their plans so far.

"I have said very clearly, it isn't possible to explain everything that needs to be done from a position of opposition," he said.

Mr Cameron also reiterated that the Tories have no plans to raise VAT, but admitted that you "can't forever rule out any tax rise".

He further confirmed that, if the Conservatives were elected, he and his ministers would lead the way on reducing the public sector wage bill by taking an immediate pay cut.

In a wide-ranging interview, Mr Cameron said he would establish a war cabinet to focus on Afghanistan.

Attacking Parliament's three-month summer break as "absurd", he said he would increase the number of weeks a year that Parliament sits.

He also said the Conservatives would form a government of "quiet effectiveness", which he said would be in contrast to Labour running the country as if it was "a branch of the entertainment industry".

Mr Cameron further said that Ken Clarke - who many commentators have said could get the chancellor job - would remain in his business, innovation and skills role.

'Fighters'

The leaders of the three main parties are continuing to tour the country as the latest opinion polls suggest that although the Conservative lead is holding firm or even increasing, a hung Parliament still remains possible.

NEWSPAPER BACKING Daily Express - undeclared, but supportive of the Tories Sunday Express - Conservatives Financial Times - undeclared, but critical of Labour Guardian - Lib Dems Independent - undeclared Independent on Sunday - undeclared Daily Mail - Officially undeclared, but highly critical of Labour Mail on Sunday - Conservatives Daily Mirror - Labour Sunday Mirror - Labour News of the World - Conservatives People - says it favours a coalition Daily Star - undeclared The Sun - Conservatives Daily Telegraph - Undeclared, but supportive of the Tories Sunday Telegraph - Conservatives The Times - Conservatives Sunday Times - Conservatives

Speaking in Eltham, south east London, Gordon Brown attacked Tory plans to raise the inheritance tax threshold to £1m, which he said would only benefit 3,000 of the Tories' "old friends".

"It is not only unjust, it is completely immoral and I will fight it every inch of the way," said the prime minister.

With an acknowledgement that the Conservatives are ahead in the polls, Mr Brown added that Labour were "fighters", and "we know what we have to do in the next few days to persuade the country".

Attacking the other parties, he said Labour was the only "serious" choice to continue the economic recovery at the same time as protecting funding to the NHS, schools and the police.

Speaking in Burnley, Lib Dems leader Nick Clegg said Labour had "betrayed" its traditional working class supporters.

"The Liberal Democrats are here to extend support and help at a time when Labour has let so many people down," he said.

Addressing Burnley's Life Church, Mr Clegg added: "You have not betrayed Labour, Labour has betrayed you."

'Radical change'

The Lib Dems have been boosted by the endorsement of the Observer newspaper.

The paper, whose sister title the Guardian has also come out in support of the Lib Dems, said the party's leader Nick Clegg was the "candidate of change".

In throwing its support behind the Lib Dems, the Observer said the party's voting record, policy agenda and Mr Clegg's own performance singled it out as the force for "radical, positive change".

Meanwhile, Plaid Cymru leader Ieuan Wyn Jones told the BBC's Andrew Marr Show that Tory plans to start to tackle the public deficit straight away, if they won the general election, would "seriously put at risk the efforts we have put in place to protect the Welsh economy".

"As people are seeing that the Labour party is becoming desperate… the support for us is growing," said Mr Jones.

"People see us as the only defence against these drastic cuts [from the Conservatives]."

Mr Jones also highlighted Plaid's wish to see the UK introduce a maximum wage, which would limit the pay of senior bankers and public sector executives.

Polls latest

Gillian Duffy, who became the subject of a media storm after confronting Mr Brown on the campaign trail, has said she felt "sorry" for him but she will not be voting Labour as she had previously intended.

She told the Mail on Sunday that she wished the prime minister had never "bothered" coming to Rochdale, and that she could now not "bring" herself to vote for any of the parties.

The latest opinion polls all put the Conservatives clearly in the lead, but suggest they are short of the number of seats required for an outright victory.

An ICM poll for the Sunday Telegraph puts the Conservatives on 36%, up one point on last week, Labour on 29%, up three points and the Lib Dems on 27%, down four points.

A Comres poll for the Independent on Sunday and Sunday Mirror suggests the Conservatives are on 38%, up two points, Labour on 28%, down one and the Lib Dems on 25%, down one.

A YouGov poll for the Sunday Times suggests the party ratings are unchanged from a week ago with the Conservatives on 35%, Labour on 27% and the Lib Dems on 28%.

The BBC's polling expert David Cowling said the polls suggested two trends - that Conservative support may be hardening while backing for the Lib Dems may be slipping.