PRIME Minister David Cameron told the Oxford Mail he is prepared to be unpopular when it comes to making the difficult decisions facing the economy.

Speaking at his Witney constituency office just 10 days after walking into Downing Street, Mr Cameron said he did not enter politics to slash public spending, but insisted it was the right thing for the country and the economy.

Yesterday, his coalition Government outlined £6bn in cuts to public sector spending.

But, with the country’s deficit standing at an estimated £156bn, it is likely to be the tip of the iceberg, and the Prime Minister said he was not hiding from further “difficult decisions”.

Last week, council leaders in Oxfordshire said the Government’s planned freeze on council tax could hit jobs and services and lead to price hikes in areas such as car-parking fees.

But Mr Cameron stressed support would be provided to councils to freeze tax, a move he said was aimed at helping people already struggling with the cost of living.

He added: “The council tax freeze has been on the table for some time.

“It is an offer [to councils] – if you keep your tax down we’ll give you extra money to make it a freeze.”

Asked if that was realistic for councils he said: “Everyone will have to find efficiencies, and councils can find efficiencies.”

He said this year’s £6bn spending cuts had focused on savings in a bid to protect frontline services.

“The £6bn is really saying we should make progress this year.

“ Most of it will be scrapping IT contracts, freezing recruitment of senior civil servants, looking at property portfolios,” he said.

“We will do all the things a business would do.”

But he added: “Long term, there will be difficult decisions about public spending, we are not hiding from that.

“We have to start this year; you can see across Europe the problems with not dealing with things.”

Public sector workers in Oxfordshire are braced for cuts in the years ahead and many simply want to know where the pain will be felt.

But all three political parties were criticised before the election by the Institute for Fiscal Studies, which said their savings packages did not add up.

Defending the Government’s plans, Mr Cameron said: “From opposition there was a limit on what we could do.

“In Government we have opened up the books and have ordered an independent audit of Government finances so we know how big the black hole is.”

He said the Government would provide more detail in its emergency budget planned for June 22.

And the Oxfordshire MP said he was prepared to be unpopular in making decisions that will affect thousands of people across the county.

“I hope we can take people with us but it will be difficult,” he said.

“A public sector pay freeze is the right policy but will not be welcome by everyone.”

He said the party had been frank with people about the measures that would be needed and added: “We were elected on the basis we would take difficult decisions on spending.

“We can take people with us.”