Osborne sees sense on the economy – and politics – too late?
Don’t say you don’t read it all here first. Alistair Darling is planning the biggest round of public spending cuts since Jim Callaghan in 1978 – that’s right, not since dear old Maggie, whose cuts were dwarfed by those forced on her predecessor.
So why did the Tories need to outbid Labour’s cuts – especially when the economy is so painfully flaccid? That question has been posed in this blog many times before.
Guys, you worship at the Shrine of Blair in so many things – so why not follow his example on this? In ‘97, Blair short-circuited charges of Labour profligacy by promising to match Tory spending plans.
Now Osborne and Cameron need only say that Labour will leave such a mess – and they will – that the Tories have no choice but to stick to Darling’s tough spending plans. No chance then of ‘Tory Cuts’ scare campaigns scaring away Motorway Man, or whoever the latest daft marketing-shite is telling the Tories to target.
That Cameron and Osborne felt the need to differentiate themslves from the government on this shows lack of judgement. Yes, blame the mess on Labour. Yes, propose (belatedly) policies to prevent the same happening again. But out-cutting them? That would be wrong for the economy and bad politics.
Get a grip guys – no wonder the polls are closing!
