Public spending formed a key part of the final party leaders' BBC debate held in Birmingham last night with Gordon Brown insisting cuts could jeopardise recovery.
Asked by a member of the audience at the event in Birmingham University to 'come clean' on cuts, in the light of criticism that they have concealed their real plans, the leaders each claimed to be making savings without jeopardising the economy.Gordon Brown said his four-year deficit reduction plan would not mean cuts in the 'frontline' including schools, health and police.
He said: 'we will find it elsewhere' and referred to 'government restructuring.'
He added: 'If you contract the economy now you will lose growth and jobs. Take recovery out of the economy now and you put recovery at risk.'
But the Prime Minister, while emphasising that spending reductions must not jeopardise the recovery, hinted at future capital spending cuts when he said: 'Once we've built a school we don't need to build it again.'
Conservative leader David Cameron also pledged to protect frontline services, adding that upfront cuts would be in the form of efficiency savings.
Liberal Democrats' leader Nick Clegg said that the parties should 'speak from the same script' on finances with their respective Treasury spokesmen working together and called for the creation of a 'Council for Financial Stability.'
