We’re in it to win it!

Prime Minister comes out fighting in whistle-stop tour

David Cameron broke with tradition to become the first Prime Minister in more than a decade to hit the by-election campaign trail.

He swept into Oldham yesterday to show his support for Conservative candidate Kashif Ali — shrugging off claims by his own deputy Nick Clegg that it is a two-horse race between Labour and the Liberal Democrats.

And he also defended Tuesday’s VAT rise, the decision which led to the scrapping of the new Saddleworth School and the Oldham Council’s spending settlement.

Mr Cameron was the latest political heavyweight to visit the borough in the run up to the Oldham East and Saddleworth poll on January 13.

Prime Ministers do not usually campaign in by-elections but he joined Mr Ali for a whistle-stop tour of the shopfloor at Adamsons Vehicle Care Centre, Cross Street. The last PM to campaign was Tony Blair.

Mr Cameron chatted to workers at the family firm which was established 54 years ago and is run by brothers James, Edward and Richard Gore.

Earlier in the week Lib-Dem leader Nick Clegg claimed the election was a fight between his candidate and Labour.

But Mr Cameron told the local press that people should vote for Mr Ali and said: “I would see it very much as a three-horse race because Kashif Ali did very well in the General Election. He is a very strong candidate.”

Commentators are touting the by-election as the first real test of the coalition Government, however Mr Cameron said: “What this by-election is about is finding a new Member of Parliament for Oldham East and Saddleworth. The reason it is taking place is because the Labour MP told lies about his opponent and the courts quite rightly stripped him of his seat.

“In Kashif Ali we have got someone who was born and bred and was educated in the constituency.”

On the VAT increase to 20 per cent, Mr Cameron said people knew that tough decisions were needed.

“We are going to have to take the country through some difficult times but to brighter times. It is only if we get our economy growing that we will get what I think everyone in Oldham East and Saddleworth wants which is growth and investment,” he explained. “It is better to have an increase in VAT than an increase in National Insurance which is a tax on jobs.”

The Government is cutting council spending by about 26 per cent over the next four years.

However Mr Cameron defended Oldham’s financial settlement saying it would be no worse off than two or three years ago.

“If you look at what Oldham is getting, it is about equivalent to what it was getting in 2007/8. This is not some reduction to something decades ago,” he commented.

Mr Cameron also defended the decision to scrap the £55 billion school building programme which hit plans for a new Saddleworth School. He said: “We are going ahead with a £14 billion programme and there will be plenty of opportunity for new school building and refurbishment, especially in this constituency.”

Mr Ali described the Prime Minister’s visit as a “fantastic boost”.