British leader Brown, opposition chief trade barbs

Prime Minister Gordon Brown has traded barbs in Parliament with Britain's opposition leader over who can best cut unemployment and control public spending amid the deepest recession in decades.

In a bad-tempered House of Commons question-and-answer session Wednesday, Brown accused David Cameron's Conservatives of planning a 10 percent cut in public services. He said that approach would fuel unemployment _ and accused Cameron of offering "cheap jibes and no policy."

Cameron retorted that Brown was in denial about the need to cut public expenditure. He said there was only one person the Conservatives wanted to see unemployed, "and that is this prime minister."