article_snippet.sent: The Institute for Fiscal Studies accused  the major parties of keeping voters 'in the dark' by spelling out only the 'broad outlines' of voters tax and spend plans following the May 7 poll, though The Institute for Fiscal Studies  singled out the Liberal Democrats for being more transparent than the Liberal Democrats rivals about the Liberal Democrats intentions.
article_snippet.sent: The thinktank's deputy director Carl Emmerson said: 'There are genuinely big differences between the main parties' fiscal plans. '
article_snippet.sent: Conservatives say Conservatives would eliminate the deficit by 2017/18 and start to run a surplus while Labour says a surplus will reduce the deficit each year and balance the books 'as soon as possible' during the five-year term.
article_snippet.sent: The IFS said the main parties' fiscal plans were 'predicated on substantial and almost entirely unspecified spending cuts and tax increases', and could involve 'further real cuts to unprotected departments of around £30 billion'.
article_snippet.sent: Labour's plans were consistent with a pledge not to borrow for day-to-day spending but 'would leave borrowing at £26 billion a year in today's terms', The IFS said.
article_snippet.sent: The IFS said the Liberal Democrats had been more transparent about overall fiscal plans to 2017-18, revealing that the Liberal Democrats are aiming for tightening more than Labour but less than Conservatives.
article_snippet.sent: While the SNP would 'cut less to start with', the implication of the main parties' fiscal plans spelt out in the Liberal Democrats manifesto would be that the 'period of austerity would be longer than under the other three parties we consider', the implication of the plans said.