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Motorists would have to pay tolls to drive on newly-built roads under plans being drawn up by the Conservatives to cut public spending.
The road tolls are among a range of new taxes which David Cameron is now being forced to consider as public borrowing is forecast to rise to more than £1 trillion.
Mr Cameron said that he is looking at introducing road tolls and that such schemes have proved a "great success". However, the scheme is likely to prove unpopular with motorists who already pay some of the highest rates of fuel duty in the world, at 54p per litre plus VAT.
The Tory leader said that he "cannot rule out tax increases" if he wins the next general election. The Conservatives are already drawing up plans to cut public spending and Mr Cameron described the challenge of repairing the country's finances as "daunting".
He also indicated that it may be several years before he is able to introduce the flagship policy to cut inheritance tax. It will also not be a priority to scrap the new 50p higher rate of income tax proposed by Gordon Brown and Alistair Darling.
In an interview with the BBC's Andrew Marr show, Mr Cameron warned that helping Britain recover from the economic downturn was "going to be a national endeavour." He said everyone would have to share the burden of a programme of "austerity".
After ruling out introducing new charges for NHS services, he said: "We've said we're happy to look at road tolls. I don't think that the eye in the sky big government scheme they [Labour] were planning was going to work, but separate road tolls...
"You know if you look at the one road toll that has been built - the Birmingham Relief Road - great success, a Conservative idea."
The Conservatives believe that the public may support road tolls for new roads if they reduce congestion. The M6 toll, or Birmingham North relief road, was first proposed by the Conservatives in the 1980s but only opened in 2003. It was forecast to carry about 74,000 vehicles a day but has failed to meet expectations.
The number of vehicles using the road has actually fallen since it opened and only about 39,000 vehicles a day used the road in 2008. The M6 and other local roads have not seen a reduction in congestion as had been hoped.
Much of the criticism has focused on the failure of the Government to limit tolls. Cars are charged up to £4.70 for the 27-mile journey, while lorries are charged £9. Many hauliers decided against using the road because of the high tolls.
Mr Cameron is likely to face public opposition to any widespread plan for road tolls. Labour was recently forced to abandon a plan to introduce pay-as-you drive road-pricing. More than 1.8 million people signed a Downing Street petition against the scheme.
Motoring organisations said that the Conservatives were making a "mistake". They are concerned that the tolls may be charged to drive on certain lanes if motorways or other roads were widened.
"Politically, the Tories would probably be making a mistake to be talking about tolls at this stage," said Edmund King, the president of the AA. "All the evidence suggests the public aren't ready for it and don't trust politicians to deliver a fair system."
The Conservatives are currently scrutinising how to reduce Britain's high levels of debt, which is expected to total more than £1 trillion over the next five years, according to Treasury forecasts. Sir John Major, the former Prime Minister, recently warned that income tax would have to rise by five pence in the pound and Vat would have to increase to 20 per cent to maintain current spending plans.
When asked about Sir John's comments, Mr Cameron said yesterday: "On tax…we have tried to behave very responsibly. We've been very clear we can't promise tax reductions, we can't rule out tax increases. We've never done that because we genuinely believe - and it goes very, very deep - that you've got, as a country, to live within your means."
The Conservative leader also hinted that wealthier Britons may face higher taxes under a future Tory government.
"I think in saying to the country that we need to reduce public spending, we need to get the budget balance under control, we've got to be able to demonstrate to people that this is fair and seen to be fair and that everyone is putting their shoulder to the wheel and sharing in the difficult decisions," he said. "And that means the wealthy have to pay their fair share.
"You know this is going to be a really big national endeavour and you've got to try and take the whole country with you. And that starts with honesty and being frank about it, explaining how you do it."
The Prime Minister has accused Mr Cameron of failing to disclose how the Conservatives will cut public spending without reducing the quality of public services.
The Conservative leader said yesterday that if elected he would show a lead by "having fewer ministers". "We're going to share in these difficult decisions and in this pain, but then the whole country has got to take part in this," he said.
He also indicated that major defence projects to build new aircraft carriers and the Eurofighter may be reviewed.
In an interview with The Daily Telegraph, the Marquess of Salisbury, the former Conservative leader of the Lords, urges Mr Cameron to show more courage in identifying spending cuts. "I have not heard a lot of clarity from him," the peer said. "It's like pulling teeth."
Mr Cameron is also under growing pressure from influential backbenchers to pledge to make more sweeping cuts.
David Davis, the former shadow Home Secretary who challenged Mr Cameron for the Conservative leadership, said yesterday: "The Conservatives have to challenge everything. Is this policy or programme necessary?
"In doing this, the Conservatives must understand there are no sacred cows. Whole programmes, such as the Trident upgrade, can and should go. Similarly, middle-class welfare, such as child benefits and winter fuel payments for the well-off should be cut."
Mr Brown has refused to explicitly discuss spending cuts. However, Alistair Darling, the Chancellor, said yesterday that whichever party won the next election would have to do "hard things" as the economy recovers.
"I do think that people know that given what we are going through just now, there will have to be difficult choices, priorities will have to be set, and both political parties are going to have to do that," he said.
He added: "Apart from anything else, the next election could see a government elected until 2015. It will need mandate for the hard things it's got to do as well as the things it wants to do to improve the country."
The Conservatives are working on plans to launch a new fund which would provide financing for smaller businesses.
A group of entrepreneurs and financiers are working with the Conservatives to establish the new fund – modelled on similar schemes in America and Hong Kong. The fund could help fund new "start-up" businesses and lend money to smaller firms,
Mark Prisk, the shadow minister for small business, said: "We are looking at what would be the best sort of institution to help funding for small businesses."
By Robert Winnett, Deputy Political Editor
Motorists to pay tolls for new roads under Tory plans - Telegraph
The road tolls are among a range of new taxes which David Cameron is now being forced to consider as public borrowing is forecast to rise to more than £1 trillion.
Mr Cameron said that he is looking at introducing road tolls and that such schemes have proved a "great success". However, the scheme is likely to prove unpopular with motorists who already pay some of the highest rates of fuel duty in the world, at 54p per litre plus VAT.
The Tory leader said that he "cannot rule out tax increases" if he wins the next general election. The Conservatives are already drawing up plans to cut public spending and Mr Cameron described the challenge of repairing the country's finances as "daunting".
He also indicated that it may be several years before he is able to introduce the flagship policy to cut inheritance tax. It will also not be a priority to scrap the new 50p higher rate of income tax proposed by Gordon Brown and Alistair Darling.
In an interview with the BBC's Andrew Marr show, Mr Cameron warned that helping Britain recover from the economic downturn was "going to be a national endeavour." He said everyone would have to share the burden of a programme of "austerity".
After ruling out introducing new charges for NHS services, he said: "We've said we're happy to look at road tolls. I don't think that the eye in the sky big government scheme they [Labour] were planning was going to work, but separate road tolls...
"You know if you look at the one road toll that has been built - the Birmingham Relief Road - great success, a Conservative idea."
The Conservatives believe that the public may support road tolls for new roads if they reduce congestion. The M6 toll, or Birmingham North relief road, was first proposed by the Conservatives in the 1980s but only opened in 2003. It was forecast to carry about 74,000 vehicles a day but has failed to meet expectations.
The number of vehicles using the road has actually fallen since it opened and only about 39,000 vehicles a day used the road in 2008. The M6 and other local roads have not seen a reduction in congestion as had been hoped.
Much of the criticism has focused on the failure of the Government to limit tolls. Cars are charged up to £4.70 for the 27-mile journey, while lorries are charged £9. Many hauliers decided against using the road because of the high tolls.
Mr Cameron is likely to face public opposition to any widespread plan for road tolls. Labour was recently forced to abandon a plan to introduce pay-as-you drive road-pricing. More than 1.8 million people signed a Downing Street petition against the scheme.
Motoring organisations said that the Conservatives were making a "mistake". They are concerned that the tolls may be charged to drive on certain lanes if motorways or other roads were widened.
"Politically, the Tories would probably be making a mistake to be talking about tolls at this stage," said Edmund King, the president of the AA. "All the evidence suggests the public aren't ready for it and don't trust politicians to deliver a fair system."
The Conservatives are currently scrutinising how to reduce Britain's high levels of debt, which is expected to total more than £1 trillion over the next five years, according to Treasury forecasts. Sir John Major, the former Prime Minister, recently warned that income tax would have to rise by five pence in the pound and Vat would have to increase to 20 per cent to maintain current spending plans.
When asked about Sir John's comments, Mr Cameron said yesterday: "On tax…we have tried to behave very responsibly. We've been very clear we can't promise tax reductions, we can't rule out tax increases. We've never done that because we genuinely believe - and it goes very, very deep - that you've got, as a country, to live within your means."
The Conservative leader also hinted that wealthier Britons may face higher taxes under a future Tory government.
"I think in saying to the country that we need to reduce public spending, we need to get the budget balance under control, we've got to be able to demonstrate to people that this is fair and seen to be fair and that everyone is putting their shoulder to the wheel and sharing in the difficult decisions," he said. "And that means the wealthy have to pay their fair share.
"You know this is going to be a really big national endeavour and you've got to try and take the whole country with you. And that starts with honesty and being frank about it, explaining how you do it."
The Prime Minister has accused Mr Cameron of failing to disclose how the Conservatives will cut public spending without reducing the quality of public services.
The Conservative leader said yesterday that if elected he would show a lead by "having fewer ministers". "We're going to share in these difficult decisions and in this pain, but then the whole country has got to take part in this," he said.
He also indicated that major defence projects to build new aircraft carriers and the Eurofighter may be reviewed.
In an interview with The Daily Telegraph, the Marquess of Salisbury, the former Conservative leader of the Lords, urges Mr Cameron to show more courage in identifying spending cuts. "I have not heard a lot of clarity from him," the peer said. "It's like pulling teeth."
Mr Cameron is also under growing pressure from influential backbenchers to pledge to make more sweeping cuts.
David Davis, the former shadow Home Secretary who challenged Mr Cameron for the Conservative leadership, said yesterday: "The Conservatives have to challenge everything. Is this policy or programme necessary?
"In doing this, the Conservatives must understand there are no sacred cows. Whole programmes, such as the Trident upgrade, can and should go. Similarly, middle-class welfare, such as child benefits and winter fuel payments for the well-off should be cut."
Mr Brown has refused to explicitly discuss spending cuts. However, Alistair Darling, the Chancellor, said yesterday that whichever party won the next election would have to do "hard things" as the economy recovers.
"I do think that people know that given what we are going through just now, there will have to be difficult choices, priorities will have to be set, and both political parties are going to have to do that," he said.
He added: "Apart from anything else, the next election could see a government elected until 2015. It will need mandate for the hard things it's got to do as well as the things it wants to do to improve the country."
The Conservatives are working on plans to launch a new fund which would provide financing for smaller businesses.
A group of entrepreneurs and financiers are working with the Conservatives to establish the new fund – modelled on similar schemes in America and Hong Kong. The fund could help fund new "start-up" businesses and lend money to smaller firms,
Mark Prisk, the shadow minister for small business, said: "We are looking at what would be the best sort of institution to help funding for small businesses."
By Robert Winnett, Deputy Political Editor
Motorists to pay tolls for new roads under Tory plans - Telegraph
