Radio 5 Live's Victoria Derbyshire questioning the Lid Dem's Vince Cable on the economy:
VC: The position is so serious it would be helpful if all the major parties agree on the basic framework within which we deal with this crisis. In other words, what's the deficit, how fast you deal with it, how do you coordinate this with interest rates, how do you coordinate it with bank lending. Getting the framework right for getting the British economy back to normal and we're happy to work with both of the major parties on that kind of agenda.
VD: But as you know, there wouldn't be agreement because you and Labour believe you shouldn’t start cutting till next year and the Conservatives believe you need to start cutting this year.
VC: As it turns out, over the last week or so that argument has narrowed to the point of being I think largely meaningless. The government are already making cuts and the Tories are talking about “making a start” of purely token things so actually the differences around that are not fundamental.
VD: So you could work with either of those parties?
VC: Both. We're suggesting a national approach to that set of issues ... given that there is a national crisis we think that major parties should work together on that kind of agenda.
30th March 2010, 11.28am
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