Burnham u-turns on yesterday's health spending pledge

Teddy Balls

I like schools now.

The Masked Marvel

The fact that Tory high command thought it was a mistake to admit the cuts shows just how useless Call Me Dave is as party leader. Your own Fraser Nelson has been pointing out the dishonesty of Brown's claims for some time now, yet all the Cameroons can do is make ad hominem attacks.

If the Tories had exposed Labour's cuts for what they are, it could only make their own plans look better by comparison. Why is anyone surprised by this? Another opportunity missed.

H Johnston

James/Pete

Would you be able to sort out the 'blog roll'? Adam Boulton's link is wrong, as is the Tory Diary link.

Thanks.

lawrence greek

Marvel is spot on.

I've now heard or seen three cabinet ministers in 24 hours (Byrne, Burnham and Denham) get in a serious pickle over this. Brown's dividing line is making them all look stupid. It was only a matter of time before they were forced to row back. The media now appears unwilling to accept Brown's lies, nominal figures over real figures, current plans instead of future plans. There is no way the next election will be about 'investment versus cuts', that line hasn't lasted a day under scrutiny, there is no way it can last another twelve months. Brown's election strategy is in tatters.

Jock

The Tories approach on this has been hapless and tardy.

Why didn't they keep it simple -along the lines that "We cannot know exactly what will be the state of the public finances if and when we come to office, until we see the books for ourselves. What we can say is that, based on Labour's own numbers, Labour will have to reduce public spending by £7m per annum and,if they ring fence the NHS budget,the cuts in other Departments will be 10%.

They need to push that line hard now, coupled with relentless repition of the question "Does Gordon Brown expect anybody to believe that we can pay the interest on our vast debts and reduce the level of those debts whilst at the same time increasing public spending year on year.
After - No more boom and bust - is he telling us - No more need for cuts? "

Hysteria

If this becomes a battle of "whose cuts are best" I suspect Brown will come out on top - you can see the soundbites now............

"Compare our targeted cuts to improve services with the Tories across the board cuts throwing thousands of nurses/firemen etc out of work"

I fear that yet again the Tories look like snatching defeat from the jaws of victory

Moraymint

The Tories now need to go on the policy offensive with a vengeance.

It's taken them far too long to realise that the public twigged long ago that we're in for a prolonged period of austerity, or we default on our debts and live our lives in permanent crisis, or we keep printing money and hyper-inflate our way into banana republic land.

In any case, the Tories must start telling it as it is. People can take bad news if they feel there's a credible plan to deal with it. What we despise is being lied to: that's Gordon Brown's territory; leave him to it; the public have rumbled him and he'll pay for it at the GE.

Olaf Rye

I wonder why the Conservatives and Labour are afraid to broach the matter of public spending cuts. It is obvious that these are necessary, but none of them have the bottle to admit that control of the public finances will be forced on the next government. Also, the public realises this--there is immense waste in the public sector, and if the spending cuts are done wisely, meaning that they affect the bureaucracy rather than the front-line staff, the services will improve.

The problem is that there are so many public service employees, the main beneficiaries of the 'job creation' of the Labour government, that no politician dares upset this mass of sycophants by suggesting that their jobs might be in jeopardy. I am keen to see a massive reduction in public spending, and I suspect that this sentiment is shared by all of those that are not working for the government or otherwise dependent on these agencies for their salaries. After all, we are paying for these ridiculous jobs through our taxes.

ex barnsley bevenboy

eee up. Even I know that next t'government will hvft tomake cuts.

Simon The Bluesman

It really is quite simple: When your income has been reduced your mortgage and other financial commitments still have to be paid. What do you do? You reduce your spending on non-essential purchases in order to balance your monthly outgoings. But what do I know, I'm just a businessman who runs a small company and one who is taxed to point where my pips are squeaking.

Roger Thornhill

Andy Uturnham?

Susan Hill

On his first day in the job, little Burnham said 'waiting lists are now a thing of the past.' I read in my Times today that they have actually increased markedly in the past few months. Dear oh dear, do they REALLY think we don`t all know someone who is on a hospital waiting list ?

David Ossitt

Moraymint.

Spot on a clear precise post.

Thank you.

David Ossitt

Simon The Bluesman.

"You reduce your spending on non-essential purchases in order to balance your monthly outgoings"

Oh yes; and stop throwing money all over the world in aid, in particular to Africa.

Cancel all Club Memberships; we would save £40millian a day if we got out of the club that the majority do not want us to be members of.

Rid the country of all quangos; they waste billions.

The list of ways to cut out unnecessary spending is almost endless.

Nicholas

False eyelashed fascist and an odious commie in a cabinet of odious commies.

Brown surrounds himself with the feak and weeble because he doesn't want to feel threatened by them. Then The Monster can lumber about as a growling giant with his posse of squeaking pygmies. Like Dorothy's trio of friends and equally lost in a fantastic world beyond the rainbow, collectively no heart, no courage and no brain.

chris

There have been a number of blog comments in the last day or two about how we should stop wasting money on overseas aid.
Before this gets silly, could I suggest we have a few facts? Would one or more of our expert bloggers give their views on this, including the effect of cutting aid on people in the developing and poor countries who we try to help.
What commitments have we given to the multinational aid organisations, and how do we compare with France, Germany, USA, et al?
There's more to life than politics.

David Belchamber

The conservatives, at this stage, should simply promise to match Labour's spending cuts in public services, as set out clearly by the chancellor (not as concealed by the PM), and state, that as they are not yet in government the question of cutting in recession does not actually arise.
Gordon Brown has actually made cuts in the prison service, the probation service, rural post offices and surgeries and, according to the Times, has ordered a cut of £500M from the hospitals' programme. Further investment in public services?

Paul B

Further to David Belchambers blog at 1005. Further Brown enacted cuts
1/Delayed on the building of the new Royal Navy aircraft carriers.
2/The building program at further eductation colleges has come to a virtual standstill.

I agree with David, why should DC & GO provide targets for Brown to shoot at. All they need to say, as David says , is that they will commit themselves to Browns spending cuts and no further than that pre election. They need to see the books first. Its turns the tables nicely on Brown, if he accuses them of having further ambitions of cutting spending (which I hope the do) DC can volley it staight back into Browns court, saying that would only be the case if the state of the nations finances is that poor, and dependant on having seen the books, bequeathed to them by Brown, will they decide on further cuts. So whats the true figures Prime Minister?

David Ossitt

Nicholas.

Very interesting; are you inferring that Gordon Brown is a friend of Dorothy?

David Ossitt

chris.

"Would one or more of our expert bloggers"

You patronising twerp; how dare you infer that only experts can have, or voice an opinion.

I believe that pouring more and more aid each year in to Africa is a complete and utter waste of money.

It has the exact opposite effect to that, that the givers intended.

You hold a different opinion.

We have been giving all of my life and little has changed as a result.