Gary Gibbon: Is this simply a Houdini ‘lock’ which you already know how to unpick
Ed Miliband arrives at the launch of the Labour manifesto in Manchester
Gary Gibbon asks Ed Miliband: “You’re making a lot today obviously about the lock, the budget responsibility lock on page one, a lot of people would see it as a Houdini style lock, one you already know how to unpick.
The IFS is saying your rules are deliberately vague and they don’t allow us to know whether you are going to make £18 billion of cuts or 0. Which is it?
Miliband says he’ll answer the second point first but “will come to the Houdini question”.
He says: “We are going to have cuts in unprotected areas, we have been clear about that … we have to learn about what has happened over the last five years. Why is it that the Government have made the cuts but they haven’t cut the deficit as their promised.
He says there are three elements to deficit reduction.
Tax: He says they have set out the changes they will amke
Spending: He says that he has explained what he will do on this issue, other commentators say that Labour have been far from clear on what they will spend on.
The economy and living standards: He says the revenues haven’t come in and that is why we haven’t balanced the books.
Gary Gibbon says Labour have been given “wriggle room” on their figures. Miliband says he doesn’t recognise that interpretation. He says he is making “clear commitments”.