Cameron goes grey

David

James, I always think it's important to take these things as a slice of a bigger pie. Over the last 18 months the Tories have announced tax cuts which add up to more than those which got Michael Howard into all sorts of problems in 2005. It's not a sexy message I'll grant you, but if the Tory message is tax cuts funded buy cutting waste and spending on things that don't matter, versus the Labour borrow to spend and borrow to cut tax approach, then I think that's something very different indeed.

Susan Hill

Yes but just for starters Cameron believes in all this global warming/climate change rubbish so he won`t be about to cut all the Climate Change Officers and their well-staffed offices. There are a lot of non-jobs in the public sector which we would all like to see abolished (just see the Guardian ads) but he either couldn`t because you can`t sack people in the public sector except for gross incompetence or misconduct, or wouldn`t because it would make him out to be a Racist or Homophobic or pro Social Exclusion or whatever other nonsense is abroad and charged to the public purse.
He could look very hard at what we spend on Overseas Aid that does not reach those for whom it is intended. Vast amounts of the money sent to Africa never gets anywhere other than in the pockets of the military or the apparatchiks. His hands will be more tied than might be supposed. Ordinary people know where the cuts should be made and made deeply - but they never are and Cameron won`t manage it either.

C Powell

Why is this only for basic rate taxpayers? What about all those middle class people with savings, earning little interest, still having to pay 40% tax on what little they do earn?

Inflation - even on this government's manipulated basis - is 4%. You cannot get any interest rate which allows your money to keep its value and if you pay higher rate tax, effectively, your money is losing its value both through inflation and tax.

This proposal is a start but the Tories will have to do much more if they are going to protect savers and establish a savings culture in this country. And if they don't - whatever huffing and puffing is directed at banks - there will be no money for any bank or building society to lend to anyone.

Daniel

Can I just correct the mis-conception that some of your contributors seem to suffer from, namely that it is impossible to sack people in the UK public sector. This has never been the case, and in fact public sector bodies have become more, not less, aggressive in tackling perceived issues of under-performance under Labour than they were under the Tories.

For example, the FSA regularly "eases out" perceived under-performers, and in addition there have been large scale job cutbacks in Whitehall under Gordon Brown's tenure.

Tories really need to rid themselves of these out-dated prejudices about the public sector. Apart from anything else, this attempt to "polarise" the workforce into good/bad undermines attempts to sell Tory policies to floating voters.

That said, I agree there is a lot of waste in the public sector, and that the Tories can probably be better trusted to tackle this if/when they assume power. One of the problems under Labour is that they often get rid of staff in core, frontline functions, but make no attempt to tackle the real, politically motivated non-jobs (diversity advisors etc.)

Verity

I know that I annoy people who think I am negative, but all the evidence out of his own mouth points to Cameron not having a clue. He knows he wants to be Prime Minister, but he has no burning sense of injustice and no burning desire to return this country to prosperity and civil stability.

Forlornehope

I listened to Cameron this morning wanting to be convinced. I wasn't.

Peter Wilson

"the Tories still lack a clear convincing, and compelling answer as to what they would do to lead the country out of this crisis."

The problem is, if the Tories demonstrate a clear way forward before what seems to be at least 18 months before an election, then Labour will nick the decent ideas and claim the credit for themselves.

When dealing with a plagiaristic, mendacious w@nker like Brown, the Tory's best political policy is to stay quiet.

Paul B

Peter Wilson, well said Sir.

Hysteria

Peter W - i kinda sorta agree - but there is a great battle of ideas to be fought, and they (the Tories) need to get out there with the arguments - a three week election campaign is not long enough - is it?

I agree with Verity and other posters along the same line - I just don't think Cameron "gets it"

Augustus

Rather than going grey, it's more a case of Cameron remaining green (in all senses of the word). It's obvious that Cameron and Brown are as different as chalk and cheese. If Brown is the 'cheese', he's well past his sell-by date. But Cameron still appears to wade about in a sort of mire of unconvincing fictionality and pretense. It's almost as if he could so easily go under, both in the public's estimation of him, or by his own volition. Like walking in a minefield. He should be more resolute about changing the common, but false, perception in the country about Toryism. If people like Margaret Thatcher and Norman Tebbit could do it, why shouldn't the next generation be able to as well?

jennywren

Actually three weeks is plenty. Peter Wilson is right.
The people who blog here are on the whole anoraks who can take any amount of political ideas for days on end.
The vast majority of the voting public have a very very short concentration span and three weeks bombardment is more than enough.

Susan Hill

Gosh.. nobody has ever called me an anorak before. I don`t know whether to be pleased or to cry.

Susan Hill

Oh, and thank you DANIEL. I stand corrected. In that case, let the sackings commence,

Polly and Alice's mum

Jennywren, you make my point exactly. I am not saying that these people are unintelligent, but they are not anoraks and they really dont care to be told what is going on.
Also, with 24 hour media - the story moves on. What is an utter scandal one day becomes yesterday's news the next.
Most people REALLY arent interested, until maybe they lose their jobs/homes, and even then they dont quite understand why this has happened. And with our Dear Leader telling them that its all someone's elses fault, they are confused.

Verity

Brown is a thug, as are the people around him. As was Tony Blair before him. The rules don't apply. David Cameron is weak. That was obvious when he dubbed himself the heir to Blair.

The Tories need a bruiser. Someone who doesn't necessarily stay wedded to the rules of engagement. Someone who will deliver a quick punch to the kidneys when the ref's not looking.

Ken Clarke would be good, except he's pro Europe, like Cameron. David Davis would make a good fist of it, though. So would John Redwood, although he'd be effective in a different way. But he could demolish Brown with a flick of the wrist, frankly.

The Tories should be talking about the Enron accounting that enabled Brown to mislead the voters, and cheat them, for 10 years. They should keep saying it and saying it and saying it until Brown's unearned reputation for competence is lying at his feet in shards. They should be sneering at Prudence. Day after day.

David Cameron is not a leader. No one would follow him over the hill. I have no doubt he is a loyal team player and would be diligent with a brief in the cabinet. But he is not a leader, and he does not have the belly for a punch up. And a punch up is the only thing that is going to rid the country of this dishonest, conniving, lying monster called Gordon Brown.

Hysteria

Jenny/Polly (and everyone else I guess !)

the point I was trying to make was that we "applaud" the New Labour approach of the simple message oft repeated - "The Tories are the do nothing party" being but one example.

The opposition neds to be following the same tack - and sure I acept that detailed "anorakanalysis" is not going to do the business - but they have to get on the offensive over an extended period with simple messages that Joe Public can digest and comprehend and, when presented with a voting booth - recall and act upon..........

Johnathan Pearce

Given the vast size of the public spending totals, even a tax cut promise worth about, say, £50 billion would represent a small fraction. Such a cut could be focused on reducing national insurance contributions for all income earners, since this is a highly effective way to boost employment and incentives.

Cameron spent so long "decontaminating the brand" of Toryism that the Tories, terrified of how their views will be misrepresented by the Labour spin machine, have lost their nerve. But it is starting to return.

There are other, good talented speakers on the Tory side who need more exposure. It would also be good to see and hear more of Hague. He seems to have gone very quiet.

Verity

Jonathan Pearce - Eric Pickles is a robust chap and a true Conservative. We ought to be hearing much more from him, too.