Our most pressing problem in this country now is to tackle our public services

Michael Howard

Mr Howard made the pledge as he urged Chancellor Gordon Brown to use next week's pre-Budget report to tackle the "parlous" state of the UK's public services and slash red tape imposed on business.

But saying lower tax economies produced more prosperity, the shadow chancellor argued that spending more money was not the key to securing better education, healthcare and transport.

No tax cut promise

Mr Howard told reporters at Westminster: "Our most pressing problem in this country now is to tackle our public services.

"That has to be our number one priority. It has to take precedence over everything else."

Howard announced a significant Tory shift

That meant he could not say the Conservatives would necessarily be in the position at the next election to promise tax cuts.

Mr Howard said the detailed Conservative plans would be published "in good time" before the UK next went to the polls.

But Labour's Andrew Smith, the chief treasury secretary, attacked Mr Howard's comments as "completely negative - offering no answers and no positive proposals at all".

"Today's Conservative Party has not changed. They are just as extreme as before," he said.

"Michael Howard himself has called for public spending to be slashed to 35% of GDP which would mean massive cuts in the record levels of investment we are delivering to improve schools, hospitals and transport, and to tackle crime."

Election attacks

During the June general election campaign, Labour constantly accused the Tories of planning to reduce taxes at the expense of public services.

As part of the drive to show their party is interested in better schools and hospitals, shadow ministers are being despatched around Europe to see how other countries deliver public services.

Shadow health secretary Liam Fox is currently in Berlin, where he said he had found it difficult to explain the concept of waiting lists to German doctors.

Brown exploited Tory tax plans in the election

In a signal his party is looking at more radical changes for the NHS, Mr Howard said: "The present system is completely unsuited to delivering healthcare in the 21st century," he continued

He said the myth that the UK's health service was the "envy of the world" had now been dispelled and argued the service was incapable of cure just by using a little more public money.

The current state of the NHS meant people were more likely to die from major diseases in the UK than elsewhere in Europe.

What was different in how things were organised in other European countries was not the amount of taxpayers cash used for public services but the level of private sector investment, continued Mr Howard.

He challenged Mr Brown ahead of next week's key economic statement.

"Deliver next Tuesday a pre-Budget report with a difference," said the shadow chancellor.

Economy concern

"It is time to acknowledge the serious causes of concern about the UK economy and the burdens you have imposed on British business.

"And it's time for the government to act on the parlous state of our public services."

Mr Howard was joined at the Conservative Central Office by some of the key Tory spokesman on public services, including Dr Fox on the telephone line from his Berlin trip.

Shadow education secretary Damian Green said real investment in schools meant spending money for a purpose

"This government's addiction to political interference, together with their failure to deliver real reforms man they are unable to do this."

He suggested a Labour dogma of "the minister always knows best" was getting in the way of the government's promise to put education first.