CAMERON CRITICISED BY IFS FOR UNDERPLAYING CUTS

The Institute of Fiscal Studies has criticised David Cameron for comments he has made on the UK government’s proposed spending cuts, and has warned the next government will have “the same amount of pain as this one.”
 
The Prime Minister wrote in the Times yesterday (Thursday) that the Coalition “will have made £100bn of savings” during this parliament, with “£25bn in further savings planned” for the next parliament. However the thinktank’s director Paul Johnson said today that the two numbers were “measured in really quite different ways” and that “really, we’re about halfway through.”
 
Commenting, SNP Treasury spokesperson Stewart Hosie MP said:
 
“David Cameron is trying to wash over the figures when we can expect more of the same in cuts from the next Westminster government.
 
“The Prime Minister is repeating a claim he made at the Tory Party conference, but as the IFS has pointed out his numbers don’t add up.
 
“While it’s right to tackle the deficit, the austerity measures so far have simply made things worse. Tory policy has stifled growth, and as the IFS has made clear today, there is much more pain still to come.

"That's why we need substantial economic and financial powers in Scotland - as the Westminster parties promised us in their Vow - so that we can grow the economy and invest in public services."