David Cameron: 'The world doesn't owe us a living'
Britain has no automatic right to prosperity, David Cameron has said, declaring: “The world doesn’t owe us a living.”
Mr Cameron told business leaders in London that Britain has no automatic right to prosperity
The Prime Minister said many people are under the “delusion” that just because the UK has historically been one of the richest countries on earth, it will always remain so.
Only if we “reboot and rebuild” the UK economy can the country’s future prosperity be assured, he said.
Mr Cameron used a speech to business leaders in London to argue that the spending cuts and other changes his Government is planning are not discretionary political choices but essential economic moves to stop the country falling behind its competitors.
He said: “I think too many people in this country are living under the delusion that a prosperous past guarantees a prosperous future. But it isn’t written anywhere that this country deserves a place at the top table.
He added: “It was once said that freedom once won is not won for ever; it’s like an insurance premium – each generation must renew it. Economic prosperity is the same. Just because we’ve had it before doesn’t mean we’ll automatically get it again.”
The Prime Minister said Britain will only remain a major economy if it can tackle the huge Government deficit, reform the welfare system and attract new investment from overseas.
“These three steps can help Britain to earn its living in the decades to come,” he said.
Despite warnings about the state of the public finances and their impact on the wider economy, Mr Cameron insisted he was optimistic about Britain’s long-term future.
“Ever since it was said that Britain had lost an empire but not yet found a role there has been a lot of anxiety about our future; about our declining place on the world stage and our diminishing fortunes with it,” he said. “But I passionately believe that decline is not inevitable.”
Britain is “blessed with huge advantages” such as the English language, its universities, established industries and the “ingenuity, openness and talent” of its people, he said.
He added: “These are the old advantages, and I believe there is a new one, too – a growing attitude across the country that we are going to deal with these debts and fight not just for our survival, but for our success."
The ComRes poll put the Conservatives on 40 per cent, up from 36 per cent earlier this month. The Lib Dems fell five points to 18 per cent. Labour was on 31 per cent, up one point.
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