British leaders begin final TV debate on economy

Updated: 2010-04-30 05

(Xinhua)

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The leaders of three main political parties in Britain began the final TV debate on Thursday evening in Birmingham before the upcoming general election to be held on May 6.

Prime Minister Gordon Brown, also the Labor party leader, opposition Conservative party leader David Cameron, and Liberal Democrat leader Nick Clegg focused on economy during the 90-minute debate hosted by the BBC.

During the opening statement, Cameron promised to cut welfare dependency, fix banks and get value for money from public services.

Clegg stressed that when cuts are made, public services must be protected, adding that taxes must be fairer while Brown said he prevented the economic crisis from becoming a "calamity", and Britain's future is on the ballot paper next week.

On Wednesday, Brown plunged his campaign to win the election into crisis, with an unguarded comment branding a 65-year-old woman who he had just had a talk with as "a bigot".

With only a week to go to the election, some opinion polls put Brown's governing Labor in third place, behind the Liberal Democrats, the third and largely ignored party in British politics for the past 90 years.

But the survey showed that the election remains a three-horse race although opposition Conservative party are still ahead.