David Cameron Keeps 'Little Black Book' Of Policies Lib Dems Have Blocked

David Cameron's 'Little Black Book' Of Policies
Embargoed to 0001 Wednesday December 11 File photo dated 29/10/13 of David Cameron who is calling for Britain to take a worldwide lead in dementia research with a doubling of investment by government and the private sector.
Embargoed to 0001 Wednesday December 11 File photo dated 29/10/13 of David Cameron who is calling for Britain to take a worldwide lead in dementia research with a doubling of investment by government and the private sector.
Dominic Lipinski/PA Wire

David Cameron has revealed he keeps a "little black book" of policies blocked by the Liberal Democrats which he plans to implement if Conservatives win the next general election outright.

Speaking to The Spectator magazine, the Prime Minister said he "very passionately" wants to escape the constraints of coalition and govern at the head of a single-party government.

Mr Cameron indicated that a Tory-only government after the 2015 election would deliver more radical action on welfare reform, Europe, the Human Rights Act and support for enterprise.

He told The Spectator: "Increasingly, today, I feel very strongly and see very clearly the case for more accountable, more decisive and active government.

"I think we could go further on welfare reform, to sharpen work incentives and get more people out of poverty.

"I think that on the European question I can see very clearly now what needs to be done in terms of our relationship with Europe, in terms of the European Convention on Human Rights and the way the Human Rights Act works. I can see when it comes to building a pro-enterprise economy how we go further and faster on backing entrepreneurship, cutting business taxes, getting our economy moving."

Mr Cameron insisted that the coalition was working well, but added: "Because of what I see as the problems facing Britain - and what I want to do next as Prime Minister - I feel very passionately that I want single-party government."

Asked why he did not speak out more openly about the frustrations of coalition government, Mr Cameron replied: "I don't believe that you succeed in government by sitting around whingeing about what you can't do.

"But I'm happy to tell you... privately that there's a good list of things I have put in my little black book that I haven't been able to do which will form the next Tory manifesto."

In his speech to the Liberal Democrat conference in September, Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg boasted that he had blocked Conservative policy proposals on a range of issues from inheritance tax cuts to profit-making state schools, powers for bosses to fire at will, regionalised public sector pay, scrapping housing benefits for young people to ditching the Human Rights Act. He told delegates: "Sometimes compromise and agreement isn't possible and you just have to say 'no'."

A Liberal Democrat spokesman said: "It's good to know the PM is writing this stuff down.

"Among other things, I suspect his little black book says we stopped him letting bosses fire staff at will, giving an inheritance tax cut to millionaires, running schools for profit and allowing the Government to snoop on your emails and web searches.

"It's just as well the Liberal Democrats are here to keep the Government anchored in the centre ground."

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