Obama/Cameron love-in comes unstuck over cuts

The splits between President Obama and David Cameron over the scale of their respective deficit reduction plans were exposed at the joint press conference between the two leaders at Lancaster House this lunchtime. Obama said there was a need for a “mix of cuts and revenue generation”, calling for continued investment – while Cameron, incredibly, claimed the two governments had a “relatively similar programme”.

Barack-Obama-David-Cameron-Lancaster-House-press-conference-25-05-11 The US President also praised Gordon Brown’s leadership in tackling the global recession; he said:

“As I said two tears ago at the G20 on my first visit [as President] in April 2009, each country is different, and we need to make difficult decisions to dig ourselves out, there was a need to put us on the path to sustainable growth.

“We’ve succeeded in the first part – due to concerted action between the US, UK, and other countries… To sustain growth requires us to continue to make investments in education, science and infrastrtuctre.

“We need a balanced approach; we need a mix of cuts and revenue generation, we need the right balance of taking money out and putting it in.”

Contrary to what our prime minister says, the approach of the US government is markedly different to that of the coalition. As Will Straw explained on these pages last month, Obama’s deficit reduction plan is three times slower than George Osborne’s.

Cameron, however, defended his plans, insisting:

“We may take slightly different paths but we want to end up in the right place in the end there’s no national security unless you have economic security.”

The other questions at today’s press conference were on Libya – with both leaders vowing to press on and take the fight to Gaddafi until the mission is completed; on the case of Gary McKinnon; on the nature of the relationship between Britain and the US; on the tornados ravaging Missouri; and on the Middle East, following Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s speech to Congress last night.

On Israel/Palestine, Obama concluded:

“If people of good will remain engaged, then ultimately even the worst of conflicts can be resolved.”

http://twitter.com/thrashdanny/status/73375975676719105 Daniel Mayhew

Obama/Cameron love-in comes unstuck over cuts: http://bit.ly/mTgX2k reports @ShamikDas #ObamaVisit
http://twitter.com/deardaveandnick/status/73376287825207296 Bern O’Donoghue

Obama/Cameron love-in comes unstuck over cuts: http://bit.ly/mTgX2k reports @ShamikDas #ObamaVisit
http://twitter.com/specs_/status/73377107576762368 Becky Gardner

Obama/Cameron love-in comes unstuck over cuts: http://bit.ly/mTgX2k reports @ShamikDas #ObamaVisit
http://twitter.com/underthebed1/status/73378340907646976 Underthebed

Obama/Cameron love-in comes unstuck over cuts: http://bit.ly/mTgX2k reports @ShamikDas #ObamaVisit
http://twitter.com/trakgalvis/status/73383633112666112 Trakgalvis

Obama/Cameron love-in comes unstuck over cuts | Left Foot Forward http://goo.gl/Ufylv
http://twitter.com/therightarticle/status/73403645537955840 Michael

Obama/Cameron love-in comes unstuck over cuts – http://j.mp/mdK5Cq
http://twitter.com/yorkierosie/status/73404346066419713 yorkierosie

Obama/Cameron love-in comes unstuck over cuts – http://j.mp/mdK5Cq
http://www.stephenwigmore.blogspot.com Stephen W

Obama is planning spending cuts and tax rises on a very similar scale to Cameron and you know it. Both want to cut deficits from around 10% to less than 2.5% over a 5 years period. That’s a very similar plan anyway you look at it. Stop lying.
http://twitter.com/brokenofbritain/status/73406156080553986 Broken OfBritain

Obama/Cameron love-in comes unstuck over cuts – http://j.mp/mdK5Cq
http://www.shamik.co.uk Shamik Das

Er, no. Please don’t level false accusations of lying. There are clear differences over the pace of deficit reduction, the US have chosen a different path and are holding off from deep cuts until the recovery is secured. Obama has in no way endorsed Cameron’s deficit reduction plan.
http://twitter.com/simontyszko/status/73422335641796608 simon tyszko

Obama/Cameron love-in comes unstuck over cuts | Left Foot Forward http://goo.gl/Ufylv
Mister Jabberwock

Glad to see LFF supporting the US government programme so strongly – a programme that you will know results in Public spending as a % of GDP heading to mid to low 30%s at the end of the plan and that has a current top rate of tax of 35%. It is a bit inconsistent with other posts, but glad you have seen the light.
http://twitter.com/kit_withnail/status/73435595682226176 Kit Withnail

RT @TheRightArticle Obama/Cameron love-in comes unstuck over cuts – http://j.mp/mdK5Cq <<Cameron in rightward-of-the-USA shame. FFS
Ed’s Talking Balls

I was going to criticise this article but see others have beaten me to it.

Well said Stephen and Mister Jabberwock.
http://twitter.com/june4th/status/73445982725079040 Noxi

RT @leftfootfwd: Obama/Cameron love-in comes unstuck over cuts: http://bit.ly/mTgX2k reports @ShamikDas #ObamaVisit
http://www.shamik.co.uk Shamik Das

Oh go on “Ed’s Talking Balls” – spin it as Obama endorsing Cameron’s deficit plans. Lets see what the briefing says…
http://Murraypolitics.wordpress.com Alex murray

Cheap disengenuous reporting. Glad to see you are setting yourselves apart from contemporary media and traditional politics. There is enough honest faults about the conservative government to stop you from having to exaggerate or score points on every event. Then again when the same applies to your own leadership I suppose it must be pretty tempting.

Come on guys. Keep to the facts and figures
Matt Hurst

Of course Barack Obama has waited til growth, having achieved more than 1.5% of growth since late 2009, Britain hasn’t hit 1.5% of growth since before the recession and are nowhere near it at this point, American’s growth is also very similar to how it was this time last year so can afford to cut.

That is the key difference, the plans are very similar but one has growth, one does not, without that growth and the tax revenues it produces, Osborne’s plan is doomed with growth.
Matt Hurst

* I meant without growth
Richard

“and that has a current top rate of tax of 35%” and set to rise to 39%.
http://twitter.com/yrotitna/status/73465838505701376 Juan Voet

RT @leftfootfwd Obama/Cameron love-in comes unstuck over cuts: http://bit.ly/mTgX2k reports @ShamikDas #ObamaVisit
http://www.leftfootforward.org/2011/05/oecd-economic-outlook-may-2011-george-osborne-cuts-too-fast-too-deep/ OECD comes round to the view Osborne’s cuts are too fast and too deep | Left Foot Forward

[...] as President Obama failed to endorse the coalition’s deficit reduction plans today, the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and [...]
Anon E Mouse

After watching the body language from these two individuals and remembering how Gordon Brown was practically ignored by Obama, a position shared by the majority of people in this country, most people know this article is nothing more than sour grapes.

Clearly Cameron and Obama get on well which is good and since every country is different, to expect the same solutions on reducing respective deficits to be employed shows a real naivety on behalf of this author…