Darling stumbles
5:11pm
Darling is losing his grip. He got his figures wrong twice on the World This Weekend and his exasperated stuttering hardly inspired confidence at a time when it is so badly needed. His job is to exude calm and savoir faire, for the benefit of anxious savers listening at home. Instead, he went on about how David Cameron was once a special adviser to Norman Lamont. Yes, the credit crunch started in America but why is the UK so exposed? This is the question ministers must answer. For years, the Tories have taken a defeatist attitude thinking Brown’s reputation with the economy was untouchable. Now is their chance.
PS Cameron is now making a speech on all this at 12.30pm tomorrow. Let's see if he lands some punches.
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DR ANDREW JOHN KITCHING
September 16th, 2007 5:21pm Report this commentHe'll look even more flustered if Bradford and Bingley gets into trouble as well. By the way Fraser, I noticed in your Spectator column this week, that you described the Westminster voting system as unfair. It's about tome you guys realised the Tories are disadvantaged by FPTP.
Fraser Nelson
September 16th, 2007 5:30pm Report this commentDr Kitching, I do realie it! But that's not reason to go for PR which I fear gives too much power to the least popular parties. My criticism is that the boundaries are not properly calibrated and FPTP should be made to work properly. I fear Im speaking on this at the Blackpool conference.
Tiberius
September 16th, 2007 6:02pm Report this commentI thought the electoral commission had already acted to reduce the inequality in FPTP by the equivalent of about 15 seats in time for the next election. Am I to assume this is inadequate, or has the whole issue found its way into the long grass?
Perry
September 16th, 2007 6:16pm Report this commentThe Opposition . . . oh dear . . . have ignored so many open goals in time past . . . . CAN they? . . . . WILL they? . . . DARE they . . . do anything now? If not, God help them . . . and us.
Fraser Nelson
September 16th, 2007 6:22pm Report this commentTiberius, the bias will be diminished and take things back where they should have been about 1999. The Boundary Commission uses census (ie, old) data, which never keeps track with the upwardly-mobile (Tory-voting) folk who move to suburbs. The answer is to use the projected population data, as local authorities do.
ANDREW KITCHING
September 16th, 2007 10:06pm Report this commentFraser: the only fair system, with a constituency link is STV. You watch, the Tories will grow in strength at grass roots level in Scotland, because STV will give them representation on previous one party councils. Get STV in, and you'd be in power with the Orange bookers for ages (I think it'd split the LDs eventually, and we'd be back to 2 and a bit parties, but with much better turnout).
sjm
September 16th, 2007 10:26pm Report this commentI assumed Darling was made Chancellor because he had no leadership ambitions and would do as the Boss told him; no wonder he's going to pieces now. Pity he wasn't bright enough to refuse the poisoned chalice, isn't it?
steve
September 17th, 2007 6:42am Report this commentIf you loosen the credit as the banks have done over the last 10 years you will get an asset boom. This government has, as usual, let a crisis develop and then try to solve the crisis. When lenders lend 4.25 joint income on a mortgage instead of the 2.5 joint that it has been historically, you are asking for trouble
Man in a Shed
September 17th, 2007 11:03am Report this commentI've heard Darling (Sky news) repeating Gordon Browns lie from his TUC conference speech that David Cameron was Lamont economic advisor - instead of special advisor (aka glorified intern). (Credit to Matthew Parris for pointing this out in his Times article on Sat).
Praguetory
September 18th, 2007 12:37pm Report this commentYou're right about Tories being defeatist on the economy. It's been pathetic to behold.
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