Cameron should avoid dancing to Brown's tune

Simon

oh dear I spoke too soon. Looks like the competition to be Simon Heffer's apprentice is alive and well.

hysteria

"the Tories aren't quite seizing all the opportunities before them"....

well quite Peter - I think many of us here have been saying this in rather more vitriolic terms for a long time.

My view is we are in this position because DC is not a conviction politician of the right, and so is always seeking the option that "sounds" right - this leads to policies and ideas not founded on any principle other than a desire to be PM.

Anonymous English African

Osbourne has tripped over into another Mandelson trap. Team Cameron need to get their act together and resolve this mess.

George Laird

Dear Peter

Cameron can only dance to Brown's tune.

He had the option but chose not to do the work on real policies.

He has spent so much time trying to be nice that he has forgotten the essential fact.

He has to have the answers, the correct answers.

Being nice isn't why people go see their MP, they do so on the basis that their MP will get things sorted for them.

There is window dressing, there are soundbytes, there are little bits of movement but Cameron is an estate agent selling a house of cards.

And he knows it.

Yours sincerely

George Laird
The Campaign for Human Rights at Glasgow University

Kevyn Bodman

What it comes down to,again, is that Cameron 'n' Osborne are not robust enough.

JohnAnt

Matching Labour's spending plans was a non-starter, and along with the husky- n' hoody-friendly policies it made Dave look wet. Core voters don't like being taken for idiots. And Dave's policy announcements and PR stunts so far (Kirsty Allsop, Carol Vorderman) have been aimed at idiots. Any more of this, and people will turn to the more extreme anti-EU parties.

Rob Atkins

Surely the point here is that Brown has made such an appalling mess of the economy that an incoming Governmnet will have no choice but to raise taxes and reduce public expenditure.

This 45p tax issue shows that the Conservatives are no longer 'pro-rich', which will enable him to argue more confidently of the need for reductions in public spending, welfare reforms and, if necessary, some increases in tax for the rest of us. All of these are going to be necessary; it is only Liability Brown and the ridiculous Yvette Cooper who are pretending otherwise.

A tax-cutting drive will have to wait until reductions in public spending make it plausible.

Alfred T Mahan

Britain is bankrupt, everyone knows it, everyone knows public expenditure is too high and this miserable pair are afraid of saying so? How on earth can anyone have confidence in their ability to take the necessary action when they're in power if they shilly-shally about like this now?

In my experience most people would welcome someone who's prepared to tell them the truth rather than mince words. Sadly, it seems there's little likelihood of one being found at the top of the Conservative Party.

strapworld

Name that tune....

"anything you can do I can do better, I can do anything better than you"

Yah Boo Politics rules!

Cameron and Osborne show their political immaturity.

Juliana

Cameron IS wet. Probably charming. But wet. And we need someone to go for the jugular which he is temperamentally incapable of doing.

John Francis

"Cameron's Leadership" - he isn't a leader. If Cameron was really a Prime Minister in waiting Brown would be begging for mercy by now. I can remember how Wilson, Thatcher, and Blair treated governments that were on the ropes. Where's the will to power?

Tiberius

Probably all regular posters to this blog accept that Brown is concerned with setting booby traps for the Tories in order to try to hold on to power for its own sake, rather than concentrate on what is best for the country and engage in honest debate. Brown may be incapable but he is still cunning.

The 45% tax issue is such a booby trap. Ian Martin, over on the DT, accepts this and recognizes Cameron and Osborne were bound to be damned if they did and damned if they didn't (although who the damners are in each case varies according to opinion, I suspect). He (like Boris) thinks they have come down on the wrong side of the argument (or, to put it another way, Cameron and Osborne know there is a booby trap in the building, but are going about defusing it in the wrong way).

Well who's to know?

Is it not the case that anyone who wants to avoid the 45% rate can do so if they have a decent accountant (and someone earning over £150k should have one). So does that not remove the disincentive issue?

In which case, the matter is all about politics not policy. To keep options open is usually wiser than to burn bridges. In these uncertain times (and still so far ahead of a GE), I, like James below, judge Cameron and Oscborne to have made the right call.

With the 45% issue still able to be retained or ditched by the Tories (their language to date allows for either), Brown cannot manoeuvre them into a worse position by exploiting their decided position.

I don't see, Pete, that Cameron is dancing to Brown's tune. Rather, he is doing what any good chess player with the black pieces does - he makes his next move in the light of his opponent's last move.

JohnAnt

They aren't expected to know the full Treasury picture. They didn't have to do anything except say that government spending must be cut and taxes will have to be raised in some way.
But as usual, they once again panicked and ignored Reagan's sensible advice 'Don't just do something: stand there!'

Peter

I have been a moderate conservative for 20 years, but even I cannot stomach conservative so called economic policy. A new fear stalks our land - not fear of the damage Labour have done to out country, but fear of what Labour spin doctors will say if we get off our knees and challenge their monstrous project. Likewise the opposition are like rabbits in the headlights about the City excesses. I give up - anyone will get my vote except Labour or Conservative.

Archie

JohnAnt: What do you mean "people WILL turn to the more extreme anti-EU parties............."?

JONNY

The hard-to-take truth of the thing is that Cameron is about trying to win an election - part of which is not being wrongfooted by Brown. Or falling headlong into baboo elephant traps.
And quite a few Coffeehousers are indulging in the pleasurable Sunday morning pastime of venting their spleen.
Why not - it's a nice day.