(FT.com) -- The Liberal Democrat minister behind Britain's austerity program has vowed that the coalition will "stand firm" in implementing its £81bn of cuts next year, facing down political opponents and threats of a "battle" with trade unions.
Danny Alexander, Treasury chief secretary, said on Monday that there was no alternative plan and the coalition would resist pressure to spend more money next year to lessen the pain of the cuts.
"The plan is right," he told the Financial Times. "The government is absolutely going to stick to it. People should be in no doubt at all.
"The most important thing is for the government to see the plan through. That's what is going to establish confidence in the economy and the credibility we need going forward".
Alexander's comments came as David Cameron met trade union leaders for a "mince pies and coffee" summit in Downing Street, the unions' first official meeting with a Tory prime minister for 25 years.
Brendan Barber, Trades Union Congress general secretary, claimed the cuts would be "socially divisive and economically dangerous", while Len McCluskey, the new leader of Unite, has urged trade unions to prepare "for battle".
Meanwhile, Labour is demanding that the coalition scales back the cuts, and even Sir Gus O'Donnell, Britain's most senior civil servant, has privately called on the Treasury to put emergency stimulus measures on standby. CNN
