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Leaders grilled on post-election deals in Question Time special
David Cameron and Ed Miliband have faced tough questions from a Question Time audience over their economic plans in the final TV event of the campaign.
The PM said he had rejected £8bn in child benefit cuts the Lib Dems claimed the Tories had proposed in government.
Ed Miliband said Labour did not overspend when in power and that he would not lead a government if it involved a deal with the SNP.
Nick Clegg was grilled over tuition fees, trust and coalition deals.
While insisting they could both win outright, the Conservative and Labour leaders gave the clearest indications to date of the terms of possible post-election deals, with Mr Cameron saying his pledge of an EU referendum in 2017 would be a “red line” in any negotiations.
Three other leaders also faced audience questions:
- In Glasgow, SNP Leader Nicola Sturgeon predicted Mr Miliband would not be able to get his policies through without working with other parties
- UKIP leader Nigel Farage said on a programme broadcast in England and Wales that an EU referendum defeat would not kill his party
- Plaid Cymru’s Leanne Wood refused to rule out a deal with Labour in a BBC TV special from Cardiff.
The prime minister was first in the firing line at Leeds Town Hall.
Mr Cameron said he did not want to cut child benefit or child tax credits if he won the election, but that it was possible to save more from the welfare budget.
Asked if this amounted to an “absolute guarantee,” he said child tax credit “would not fall” and child benefit was “one of the most important benefits there is” and did not need to change.
Brandishing the note left in 2010 by outgoing Labour Treasury Secretary Liam Byrne, stating there was “no money left”, Mr Cameron said: “It takes a long time to fix the mess that I was left.”
“We are half way through a building job,” the PM added.
©BBC