A SURPRISE offer by David Cameron of a political truce to tackle the economic crisis appeared to have been rejected by the Govern-ment last night.
The Treasury reacted frostily to the Conserva-tive leader’s emergency statement to his party’s conference, in which he vowed to put party politics aside to protect Britain from the worst of the fallout.
Mr Cameron announc-ed a three-point plan, including dropping Tory objections to a key ele-ment of the govern-ment's Bill to rescue failing banks to help it pass quickly through Parliament next week. He said: “We have always been ready, at a time of national diffi-culty, to put aside party differences to help bring stability and comfort.”
As he was speaking, shadow Chancellor George Osborne was leaving for what he later described as “extremely constructive” cross-party talks with Chanc-ellor Alistair Darling.
And it was revealed that the Prime Minister and Mr Cameron spoke on the telephone late on Monday, the Tory leader urging him to embrace US-style “cross-party working”.
But government sources said the offer was not needed, point-ing as proof to this week’s rescue of Brad-ford and Bingley Bank which is being taken partially into public ownership.
The Banking Reform Bill will be debated in the Commons next week, but is a long-term replacement for emerg-ency powers granted to ministers after the Northern Rock crisis – powers which do not run out until February.
The government source said: “We have already legislated to take action to deal swiftly with failing banks.”
