London: British Prime Minister David Cameron and his deputy Nick Clegg on Tuesday said their coalition government would last a full five year-term, giving the country "strong, stable and determined leadership".
Conservative leader Cameron, promised help on childcare costs, care costs for the elderly and investment in roads as his government today marked the halfway point of its term.
The Prime Minister and the deputy Prime Minister described their agreement as a "Ronseal deal" which "does what it says on the tin".
Nick Clegg, Liberal Democrat leader, said the coalition had brought about "big, bold reforms" that would stand the test of time.
Described by Downing Street as a "stock take", the 46-page Mid-Term Review, jointly released by the two coalition leaders, lists what the government says it has achieved in meeting its coalition agreement and outlines further reforms to come.
The full document was presented to the cabinet for the first time this morning.
During a joint press conference with his deputy, Cameron said: "Some people thought our coalition wouldn`t make it through our first Christmas, but this government is now well into its third year, because this coalition was not and is not some short-term arrangement".
Asked if their coalition was like a marriage, Cameron said: "To me it`s not a marriage, it`s a Ronseal deal, it does what it says on the tin, we said we would come together, we said we would form a government, we said we would tackle these problems, we said we would get on with it in a mature and sensible way, and that is exactly what we`ve done."
"Ronseal deal, you could call it the unvarnished truth," Clegg said.
Cameron promised the coalition would continue to go "full steam ahead" in reforming the economy and tackling the deficit.
Cameron named India, China, Indonesia, Malaysia, Brazil, Mexico and Turkey as examples of countries that Britain would fall behind if it failed to reform its economy.
A number of future plans which had been expected to be included in the Mid-Term Review document after being trailed in the media, are mentioned only briefly in the foreword.
But Cameron said that before the budget in March, the government would set out details, including: New investment to help working families cut the cost of childcare, more help for families who cannot raise a deposit for a mortgage and measures to limit state powers and extend personal freedoms.
PTI
