Lib Dems call for honesty on public spending while other parties bicker

2.11.00pm BST (GMT +0100) Thu 16th Jul 2009

The Government's Draft Legislative Programme has been attacked as a big let down for Chelmsford and dishonest to everyone. Stephen Robinson, Liberal Democrat parliamentary candidate, called on both Labour and the Conservatives to come clean about what they would cut to fill the black hole in the nation's finances.

Mr Robinson said: "The nation has a massive deficit, which cannot be ignored, and yet the Labour Government are claiming that everything is fine. This was a chance for honesty, and it has been lost.

"Meanwhile, the Conservatives refuse to tell us what they would cut. Fewer police? Fewer schools? Fewer teachers, nurses and doctors?

"The Liberal Democrats believe we need to face the facts. As a start, we will scrap the massive spending projects that we just cannot afford: ID Cards, the national identity register, ContactPoint (the database of all children), Trident missiles, nuclear power stations and tax breaks for the super-rich. We can then direct government spending towards those most in need."