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Prime Minister David Cameron boasted yesterday that Britain would become a post-recession flagship in 2014, in what was reported as a swipe at France’s “disastrous” economic policies.
Writing in The Times newspaper, Cameron said Britain was a country on the rise as he warned against “the great mistakes that led up to the great recession—more borrowing, more spending and more debt”.
Though Cameron did not name the “countries currently following that approach”, The Times said it was a “swipe at France” and an “apparent gibe” at President Francois Hollande.
“Cameron’s dig at France in warning over debt”, said the front page.
His remarks “will be widely interpreted as an attack on Mr Hollande, who is under pressure as France’s economy continues to struggle”, the daily said.
Cameron wrote: “2014 is when we start to turn Britain into the flagship post-great recession success story.
“With record numbers of new businesses, we can be the enterprise capital of Europe.
“We must not resurrect the dangerous thinking that got us into the mess from which we are now recovering,” the centre-right Conservative leader warned.
Blaming the previous centre-left Labour government, which lost power in 2010, he said the British economy contracted by 7.2% during the economic downturn.
“If you doubt how disastrous a return to Labour-style economics would be, just look at countries that are currently following that approach,” he wrote.
“They face increasing unemployment, industrial stagnation and enterprise in free-fall. The opposite of what’s happening here.
“Our recovery is real, but it’s also fragile, and there are more difficult decisions ahead. A return to that economic madness would devastate this country.”
While Britain is predicting economic growth of 1.4% in 2013 and 2.4% in 2014, France’s national economics statistics institute INSEE predicted growth of 0.2% for 2013, while the country’s belt-tightening budget is based on projected growth of 0.9% in 2014.
France’s economy contracted 0.1% in the third quarter of 2013.
Socialist French Prime Minister Jean-Marc Ayrault said last month that his government would not copy British economic policies, saying they had created poverty and inequality.
In Britain, unemployment has hit a four-year low, at 7.4%. INSEE said the French unemployment rate rose by 0.1% in the three months to September to 10.5%.
Cameron said his government would reduce the national deficit further in 2014, cut income taxes, slash red tape for small businesses and invest in infrastructure projects.
He pledged to cap Britain’s overall welfare budget.
“New year is a time for resolutions. Here’s mine: to make 2014 the year in which Britain begins to rise,” he said.
Prime Minister David Cameron, in his New Year message, appealed to Scotland to remain part of Britain.
Scots are to decide in a referendum on September 18 on whether to become an independent sovereign state, ending some 300 years of union with the rest of Britain.
“This year, let the message go out from England, Wales and Northern Ireland to eve d together we can build an ever stronger United Kingdom for our children and grandchildren,” Cameron said.
The government in Edinburgh under First Minister Alex Salmond predicts that devolution will bring economic and social benefits for 5mn Scots.
However, opinion polls consistently shown the majority of Scots do not favour independence.
Cameron said there were signals of an upswing in the British economy in 2014. He said more work to reduce the budget deficit was needed.