Mr Cameron said the coalition was bold and reforming
Prime Minister David Cameron has said the coalition will continue “right up until polling day” in 2015.
Seeking to move on from Tory warfare over same-sex marriage and Europe, he promised to be “absolutely focused on the big picture” from now on.
There were still “big bold reforms” to come on the economy, welfare and schools, he told the Today programme.
His message was echoed by deputy PM Nick Clegg who has said the Lib Dems will not “pull the plug” on coalition.
Mr Cameron told Today his task now was to deliver a “sense of mission” that the government was focused on issues that were “squarely in the national interest”.
He admitted the issue of same-sex marriage, opposed by some of his MPs and activists, was divisive but said he was proud the new law had been passed by MPs.
The Conservative Party was a “broad church” and would continue to be under his leadership, he said.
On Europe, he said his party had managed to have a “a disagreement… about an issue we actually agree about” – the need for reform and an in-out referendum.
But he said his planned date for a referendum – by the end of 2017 – would not change and he believed he could reform the European Union, despite doubts expressed by some some within his party.
The general election is scheduled to take place in May 2015.
In an interview with Total Politics magazine, published at the weekend, Mr Cameron said maintaining the coalition remained the best course of action over the next two years, but added that “if that wasn’t the case then we’d have to face the new circumstances in whatever way we should”.
But asked about whether the coalition would survive until the 2015 election, he told the BBC on Wednesday: “That is absolutely my intention and has always been. This is a government that has an enormous programme of work…
“To anyone who doubts the life the life left in the coalition, I would argue there is more to come, very bold reforming and strong government and that is what we’ll be right up until polling day.”
At a speech at Westminster, Mr Clegg will say he and David Cameron remain “absolutely committed” to maintaining their partnership but will accuse some Tory MPs of “game playing”.