Politics

Danny Alexander accused of 'abusing office' as 'yellow budget' revealed

Danny Alexander faced accusations he was abusing his ministerial office as he set out the Liberal Democrats' "alternative Budget". The Treasury Chief Secretary was harangued by Labour backbenchers as he set out Lib Dem plans for those "left cold" by George Osborne's Budget. Despite confirming the Budget was agreed by the Tories and the Lib Dems, Alexander criticised the plans contained in it to cut government spending to 1964 levels - "the era of Cathy Come Home". Prior to Alexander's ministerial statement, Speaker John Bercow insisted such statements "have to be ministerial, delivered not in a personal or party capacity but on behalf of the Government".

I secured key Liberal Democrat commitments [for yesterday's coalition Budget] yet I know that millions of people watching yesterday's exchanges between the Chancellor and the Opposition leader were left wondering 'Isn't there another way to do this?'.

Danny Alexander

But as the Treasury Chief Secretary set out his Lib Dem plan that "borrows less than Labour" and "cuts less than the Conservatives", he was met with a volley of heckling from Labour backbenchers. Shouts of "this is an abuse of office" and "this is ridiculous" could be heard as Opposition MPs and others waved the coalition Budget document. At one point, Labour frontbencher Andrew Gwynne reached across the table separating the despatch boxes with a copy of the red book and dropped it in front of Alexander who insisted his statement was "entirely legitimate" because the plans were contained in a Treasury document, but insisted they deviated from the Tories' "cuts for cuts' sake" and Labour's "dragging out the pain".

So to all those people left cold by yesterday's exchanges, to all those asking themselves is there another way, today I say yes there is, there is a better way. Today I set out a better economic plan for Britain - a plan that is based on values of fairness as well as strength, a plan that delivers on our commitment to balance the books in a fair way.