23/01/2013 Party Political Broadcasts - Conservative Party

We're now halfway through the Coalition's time in government

and in two and a half years we've achieved a lot.

But I know people don't just want to hear from me,

they want to know the facts.

That's why we're letting people know

exactly what this government's achieved so far.

I would say the deficit's gone down maybe by 1.5%.

2 or 3%.

-3%.

-I'll be honest, I don't know.

I would say up 30%.

Gone up probably about 2%.

It's gone down, but I'm afraid I don't know by how much.

-That's great.

-That is quite surprising.

-That's pretty good going.

-I think they've done well, yes.

More tax, definitely.

I wouldn't say any different, the same.

We're probably paying more.

Paying about the same as we always have done.

It does surprise me that people are paying less tax now.

It's good if we pay less tax, yeah.

We have more disposable income to put back into the economy.

I think it's a fabulous thing if we're paying less income tax.

I suspect the employment rate probably hasn't changed.

It's gone down in my opinion.

A lot of people will find it quite hard to get jobs at the moment.

Employment, I suspect, up.

About the same I think, at the moment.

It's surprising that there's 750,000 more jobs.

I would say that's really good, that.

I think the government have had to make a lot of tough decisions.

They've had to make a lot of cutbacks in public services and people

get very angry about that, but if I'm honest, I think it's necessary.

I think tough measures have had to be taken,

which are hard for a lot of us,

but if it gets us out of this mess,

then that's what we've got to do as a country, isn't it?

I think we have to do what we've got to do

for the benefit of my grandchildren, cos I don't want them

to have to go through the struggle that a lot of people are having

to go through today.

So though this government has had to make some difficult decisions,

we are making progress.

We're paying down Britain's debts,

insisting on excellence in our schools,

sorting out the welfare system,

tackling out of control immigration,

doing what's right for Britain in the long term.

And over the next two and a half years, no matter how tough it gets,

that is what we'll continue to do.