The Conservatives are saying that the Shadow Chancellor Ed Balls has refused to admit Labour spent too much and borrowed too much, and set out economic policies that would do the same thing all over again.
In a speech to Reuters this morning, Ed Balls "refused to set out Labour's spending plans". Balls also re-iterated his support for a mansion tax, which the Liberal Democrats proposed in the 2010 general election but is opposed by the Conservatives. Mr Balls also hinted he would take powers over education and policing back from "hardworking people, returning them to the bureaucrats and unions that had them under Labour".
Sajid Javid, the Conservative Economic Secretary to the Treasury, commented: "Ed Balls' promise of discipline on spending isn't remotely credible. Ed Balls is incapable of admitting that Labour spent and borrowed too much in government, he has opposed every single tough decision we've taken to cut the deficit and he's still saying Labour would borrow billions more. The same old Labour plan for more borrowing and more debt would mean soaring interest rates with hardworking people paying the price".
