Senior Conservative Disowns James Report

12.00.00am GMT Thu 3rd Mar 2005

Liberal Democrat Shadow Chancellor, Dr Vince Cable MP, today forced a senior Conservative into confessing that the James Report was not party policy. Yet this is precisely what the party's tax and spend policies are all based on.

The report, which Michael Howard stated showed "exactly how we will deliver lower taxes and better value for money" has been rubbished by one of his whips who today on the Daily Politics programme said "as you know perfectly well the James Report is not Conservative Party policy".

In response, Dr Cable said:

"Mark Prisk who is an experienced Conservative and former Shadow Pay Master General heavily involved in forming Conservative economic policy, today denied that the James Report is party policy.

"This Report is at the very heart of economic policy. Without it they must explain how they will manage to meet all their spending commitments including tax cuts, reducing the budget deficit, and increasing spending in priority areas.

"Mr. James is supposed to have a reputation for saving beleaguered enterprises, but he appears to have failed to save the Conservative Party, not only from intellectual bankruptcy but from electoral defeat."