Cable: Darling’s pie in the sky growth forecasts

Reaction to the Treasury Select Committee’s assertions that the Budget forecasts for public borrowing and national debt represent the worst fiscal outlook since the Second World War, Vince Cable said, "the only person who believes that Britain will soon return to rapid growth is the Chancellor himself.

Liberal Democrat Shadow Chancellor attacked the Chancellor and the Prime Minister saying, "both Gordon Brown and Alistair Darling have relied on pie in the sky growth forecasts to dodge the difficult decisions that need to be made."

"We cannot simply sit back and hope that the deficit will disappear as the Government does, or resort to the salami slicing of key services as the Conservatives allude to."

He concluded,"there must be an open and honest debate about what government can afford to do in the longer term, including reviewing the 50% target in higher education and our world wide military role."