LONDON - THE British government will give voters more details of its spending plans before a national election due by next June, finance minister Alistair Darling was quoted on Saturday as saying.

The Daily Telegraph said Mr Darling also raised the possibility, in an interview with the newspaper, of reversing a planned increase in income tax for high earners to 50 per cent.

'Looking into the future, I would like to be able to reduce tax. Raising the top rate is something I didn't want to do,' he was quoted as saying.

The rise in the top rate from 40 per cent is due to take effect from next April.

The opposition Conservatives have accused Britain's ruling Labour Party of not being honest with voters over spending cuts that will be required to rein in a public sector deficit that has ballooned because of the recession.

The Daily Telegraph said Mr Darling indicated there could be a 'pared-down spending review', setting out the government's future spending plans, before the election.

'No political party can stand before the electorate and say 'Vote for me and I'm not going to tell you what I'm going to do, good or bad. No one would dream of doing that. Both political parties will have to set out their stalls. We'll have to do it,' Mr Darling was quoted as saying. 'Now I'm very clear that we do have to tell people the lie of the land. People will understand there are uncertainties but we do have to set out our stall,' he said.

The Daily Telegraph said Darling left the door 'wide open' to a spending review, which typically sets out government spending plans over three years.

A detailed package would be impossible to draw up because of uncertainty over how much cash will be available, the newspaper quoted Mr Darling as saying. But it said he expected to be able to give an idea, perhaps in a pared-down spending review, before the election.

A streamlined version would focus on key departments such as health and education, the newspaper said. It said Mr Darling was not prepared to say what, if anything, might be ring-fenced against cuts at this stage. But it said he promised, nearer the election, to be more specific about what could and what could not be preserved. -- REUTERS