Chris Leslie MP, Labour’s Shadow Chief Secretary to the Treasury, responding to David Laws calling George Osborne’s post-election spending plans a “suicide note” for the Tories, said:

“Nobody will fall for this desperate attempt by the Lib Dems to distance themselves from the government they are part of.

"Two years ago David Laws called for deep cuts to public services to reduce the size of the state to 35 per cent.

"And Nick Clegg and Danny Alexander signed off spending plans in the Autumn Statement which would do just that and take public spending back to a share of GDP last seen in the 1930s.

"This extreme and ideological approach is in contrast to Labour’s plans to get the deficit down in a fair and balanced way.

“David Laws and the Lib Dems cannot run away from the Lib Dems’ record by trying to pretend that this government’s policies are nothing to do with them.”