Labour claimed today that Tory spending plans would lead to cuts in public services of more than Stg£20 billion.
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Tony Blair, leader of the Labour Party
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Presenting a spoof Tory budget, Society Security Secretary Alistair Darling said there was a "massive black hole" at the heart of the Conservatives' commitments.
He warned at Labour's London news conference today: "The Tory budget sums do not add up. The Tory budget would take us back to boom and bust. The Tory budget would cut £20 billion from our schools, hospitals, police and other public services."
Mr Darling rammed home the message by opening a blue budget box, similar to the one used by the Chancellor of the Exchequer for the real Budget, with the words "Tory boom and bust budget" labelled on the outside.
He said the Conservatives had consistently refused to set out their tax and spending plans for detailed scrutiny so now it was up to Labour to do so for them.
"We show that their sums do not add up," he said. "In fact, they have tax commitments going well beyond the £8 billion they have claimed - they have extra spending commitments and their so-called £8 billion of savings are simply not credible."
PA