The Conservatives are considering ending tax credits for wealthy households and introducing more road tolls, in an effort to tackle public finances.
David Cameron warned yesterday that households on £50,000 a year must share the pain of spending cuts. He said cutting back tax credits on mid- to high-income families would recoup £500 a year from around 130,000 families.
"In saying to the country that we need to reduce public spending, we need to get the budget balance under control. We've got to be able to demonstrate to people that this is fair and seen to be fair and that everyone is putting their shoulder to the wheel," he told BBC1's Andrew Marr Show yesterday.
"It's incredibly daunting the scale of the challenge, and the mess that's being left in terms of the economy and particularly the budget balance. That's why I've said - and I can't remember an opposition leader who in opposition has looked the British public in the eye and said - we are going to cut public spending.
"We have to do that, we have to be clear about that. But I think the British people recognise this and are crying out for someone who's going to lead them and is going to say, 'Right, we are all in this together, we've got to take these steps together'."
In response, the chancellor promised he would outline Labour's own spending priorities before polling day to reassure voters.
But Darling adopted a different approach to the Conservative's "hard choices ahead" attitude, saying that senior Tories had been "wallowing in the prospect of making cuts, here, there and everywhere".
He also stated that VAT would definitely return to 17.5 per cent. "The reason I cut VAT was to bring forward spending this year as part of the process of helping our economy get through it," Darling said.
"But when you consider it costs almost £1bn a month, I was quite clear at the Budget and when I announced this last November that the VAT rate would return to the 17.5 per cent at the end of this year. That remains the case."
