PRIME Minister David Cameron failed to say whether Wales would receive a 'funding floor' if it rejects tax varying powers in a referendum.

The Conservative leader was visiting Brecon and Radnorshire this morning in the final push for votes ahead of tomorrow's general election.

The Tories, the Liberal Democrats and Labour have all made promises on securing a minimum 'funding floor' to the block grant the Welsh Assembly receives from Westminster to run public services in Wales.

But asked if the Conservatives would deliver that funding floor should voters say no to income tax varying powers for the Welsh Assembly, Mr Cameron would only say: "It's very clear it's the referendum and the funding floor that go together."

Labour's shadow Welsh Secretary Owen Smith has previously claimed a referendum on income tax varying powers is a 'trap' to cut the Welsh block grant.

Mr Cameron, who was speaking to reporters at the Bear Hotel, Crickhowell after visiting a farm in Talgarth, again described himself as a 'triple yes man' - insisting he supported the Welsh Government calling an income tax referendum, a yes vote and the funding floor.

The PM also called for Welsh Labour First Minister Carwyn Jones to hold the tax varying referendum.

"The two things go together, the referendum and the funding floor but of course, who's standing in the way of this referendum? Carwyn said the last thing that was necessary for the referendum was a commitment to the the funding floor, well there it is.

"Carwyn now needs to get off the fence. I'm a triple yes man, yes to a referendum, yes to a funding floor and yes to tax raising powers for the Welsh Assembly."

The Conservative campaign in Wales has previously been dogged by an apparent confusion over the commitment to a funding floor after the party's UK manifesto linked it to being dependant on the Welsh Government calling a referendum.

The UK manifesto said the floor would be introduced 'once' a referendum has been called. The Welsh manifesto said the floor would be put in place in 'the expectation' the Welsh Government holds the referendum.

Mr Cameron denied there was any inconsistency between his party's two manifestos.

Labour's Owen Smith previously called the Tory stance on the referendum 'a form of blackmail' and said he believed David Cameron would be governed by his UK manifesto.

Mr Smith said: "It's saying to the Welsh as I've always said, fall into the trap of having tax varying powers, raise your taxes, if you want better services here in Wales because we're going to cut your budget and tell you to fill the gap by raising taxes on the Welsh people."

Welsh Liberal Democrat leader Kirsty Williams said her party supports a referendum, but a funding floor for Wales shouldn't be dependant on it: "We believe there should be an opportunity for people to express their views on income tax powers, but unlike the Tories, we will deal with Wales' underfunding and not use a big stick to threaten the Welsh Government.

"We recognise the existing funding system is not fair for Wales. We will deal with that, the referendum is a separate issue, the two are not linked by the Liberal Democrats but they're linked by the Conservatives. You can only get fair funding if you have a referendum under the Conservatives."

The PM also backed his economic plan which he said had boosted employment in Wales by 54,000 and insisted he is right to continue with austerity measures. The Conservatives had before the 2010 election promised to eliminate the deficit but missed that target, only reducing it by around a third.

The government has also been criticised over inequality with food bank use in the UK, and Brecon and Radnorshire, at record levels while other parties, including the Lib Dems have said the Conservatives must state how they propose saving £12 billion from the benefits bill.

Mr Cameron said he was sticking with his economic plan: "What we're suggesting is two more years of further spending efficiencies to make sure we eradicate the rest of that deficit, start putting aside money for a rainy day, and at the same time cut taxes for working people including here in Wales."

He also denied the economy had only returned to growth once the coalition government eased off on austerity measures: "That's not the case, we've had a plan and a programme to get the deficit down which was opposed. People say you haven't cut the deficit fast enough every measure we have taken was opposed by the Labour Party here in Wales.

"What the Labour Party here in Wales ought to be doing is taking the fact we're spending more on the NHS as part of our balanced plan they should use that money here in Wales to spend more on the NHS rather than cutting the NHS."

The Conservative's Brecon and Radnorshire candidate Chris Davies, who was with the PM, said he agreed it is for Carwyn Jones to call a referendum.

Mr Davies said he didn't know if Wales would vote no to income tax powers for the Assembly. He said: "I think the first priority is to get Carwyn Jones to deliver the referendum he has been asking for time and time again and let the people of Wales have their say."

UPDATE

Roger Williams who is defending the Brecon and Radnorshire seat for the Lib Dems said: "Not only will the Tories not commit to fair funding to Wales, we know the cuts they are planning will be devastating to local services that people in Brecon and Radnor depend on."

Brecon and Radnorshire Green Party candidate Chris Carmichael said the PM was promising more cuts.

He said: "The sudden appearance of the phrase 'further spending efficiencies' is such an obvious election ploy it is staggering.

"Further swingeing cuts to public services, continued attacks on the poor and the vulnerable, more low paid, insecure jobs is what he actually means.

"It must take self-delusion of monumental proportions for Mr Cameron to actually think that the people of Wales could believe anything that he says when it comes to funding - or indeed referendums.

"If the Welsh Assembly is prepared to ask the people of Wales what they want in terms of tax raising it should not be done with a Tory axe hanging over them."

UKIP'S Brecon and Radnor candidate Darran Thomas has hit back at the PM's promise to stick to his economic plan.

Mr Thomas said: "Cameron's 'further spending efficiencies' is just a longwinded way of saying we're going to suffer far more than we have already.

"The Tories represent five more years of food banks, five more years of fuel poverty and dying pensioners, five more years without decent public services in Mid Wales, five more years of underpaid and overworked stress.

"Mid Wales is not fooled by a stream of insincere Tory bigwigs pretending they care about Mid Wales, who won't visit again for five years and couldn't find Wales on a map. We need a positive change and we need it now."

Labour candidate Matthew Dorrance attacked the coalition government, including Roger Williams who is hoping to regain the seat for the Liberal Democrats.

Mr Dorrance said: "The Tories are the real threat to the future of people in Brecon and Radnorshire. The last five years of a Tory government, propped up and supported every step of the way by local Lib Dems, has hit families here hard.

"From the 'bedroom tax' to tax cuts for millionaires, we're paying the price for Tory failure.

"Labour offers an alternative to the destructive policies of this failed government."