Crashing and Burnham
What is it about these inarticulate junior ministers? First, we had Bob Ainsworth and his inability to defend Brown’s lie about the 1,000 troops being withdrawn:
Then we have the MP for the Greater Manchester constituency of Leigh, Andy Burnham, who apparently holds some non-role such as the Financial Secretary to the Treasury, and who was crashing and Burnham on Newsnight last night. Burnham claimed there were figures for the numbers of non-doms, whereas Stephanie Flanders – being as incisive as ever – informed him that these were estimates by experts.
Burnham was wheeled out several times yesterday to debate Philip Hamond and Vince Cable, and Burnham proved why he is over-promoted. At least Ruth Kelly and the much lamented former MP Paul Boateng were able to explain their policies or were well enough briefed when in similar roles (I think they were both Chief Secretary to the Treasury).
Darling he is not
At least Darling wasn’t as smarmy and arrogant as Brown was … although does Brown really think this makes him look good? The press is hardly giving Labour a good time today, and nor will the opinion polls. The electorate will think that Brown is smirking at them but eventually they will punish him for his arrogance and deceit.
This was on a day on which Alistair Darling presented a most deceitful (and, frankly, stolen) Pre-Budget Report/Comprehensive Spending Review in which Brown’s predicted £4bn surplus turned into a £8bn deficit, so borrowing is much higher than expected.
And how credible are Brown and Darling when they can’t even get the growth and borrowing figures right? It’s not just the non-election that proves they are indecisive and incompetent, but this PBR/CSR underlines what a mess Brown has made and what a tough job Darling has been left with … although he is following in Brown’s footsteps in terms of lack of charisma.
This is exactly what one would expect as a result of the irresponsible Brownian economic policies of the last ten years. And, worse still, the PFI debt burden is often discreetly hidden from the public eye because it is not classed as Government debt – this is presumably how Darling will pay for all the new “schools” etc he promises, while closing down hospitals…
Not only is growth lower (at 2%), which notwithstanding the global economic crisis, is a disgrace for an economy of the UK’s standing – but Darling has increased tax, at the expense in particular of small firms, and back-office workers of private equity firms and related companies.
Darling may well drive some private equity bosses out of the UK by increasing from 10% to 18% their taxes — but that will include driving 1,000s of workers out of their jobs too. This is an irresponsible act given the current crisis in the banking industry.
Meanwhile, despite all the spin about Brown supporting entrepreneurship, and “enterprise for all” etc, with his Enterprise Areas and assorted policies, he actually increases taxes on small businesses and entrepreneurs. What is this about? David Birch in the US, and more recently other UK academics, showed how small firms create over 95% of new jobs.
This is against a background of higher unemployment, not “The background to this budget is …” the economic crisis which caused howls of derision from opposition benches, and not “employment at record levels” as Darling explains. Recently, it transpired that something like 1 of 2 new jobs are going to immigrants. We know that is because the tax and benefits system (especially in the South, which even Alice Miles in the Times today says that Brown et al don’t understand) disincentives British born people, including British born ethnic minorities (and not just white British), from taking such jobs.
Meanwhile, Labour is actually cutting public sector spending, while managing to increase taxes, and this is going to have a particular impact on the – yet unreformed – NHS.
One of the most despicable aspects of this PBR/CSR is that the funding for the Home Office is actually falling in real terms by something like 5%. This proves even more how out of touch the Government really is. Are they blind – or completely cold and heartless – to the crimewave, especially gun crime, that is gripping the country, underlined by the murder of 11-year-old Rhys Jones in August? Or the recent killing of a 17-year-old for his mobile phone? Or a Polish careworker caught in crossfire?
How does Labour respond to this? By cutting the funding of the Home Office, which will probably mean more bobbies on the beat, and therefore more kids being murdered. One of the outcomes of this budget is that the Government will have more blood on its hands because it simply refuses to tackle crime. And thinks the votes are elsewhere.
This all proves why Alistair’s no darling and Brown’s lost his crown.
3.55pm Update: Inayat Bunglawala argues here why ordinary working people are being caught up by inheritance tax and why he was right to recommend that the threshold should be increased to £1,000,000.
Posted by Mountjoy 10.49am
Mountjoy