Different ways to cook the spending omelette
Fraser Nelson 11:50am
The spending debate continues with Philip Hammond over at ConservativeHome defending his decision to sign up to Brown’s current spending plan. The 2% total ain’t that much, he says, slower than economic growth in fact. Therefore Brown is (magic phrase) “sharing the proceeds of growth” like he would.
He’s right, Brown’s spending is the tightest since 00. But within that round are strange priorities. Money is being forcefed to an NHS that shows itself incapable of digesting it. And after the dreadful PISA study showing English schools are going backwards in literacy and numeracy, I’d also question if it’s wise to keep giving the LEAs so much money to squander.
I’d give more to the Home Office, which needs to build prisons instead of letting hundreds out to offend again on early release. I’d pay the police properly, honouring the arbitration panel like the Tories did in all their 18 years of office. Perhaps most of all, with the public finances getting worse by the month, I’d have cut the spending growth even more so we’d have to borrow less and be less exposed to the credit crunch.
In short, there’s a whole range of different ways to cook this omelette. And I would rather have liked a Tory party to be imaginative enough to say something other than “I’ll have what he’s having.”
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Comments
Jo
February 6th, 2008 12:25pmWish you could be the PM instead!
Victoria Street
February 6th, 2008 1:17pmFraser, this is politics. Look at the timetable. Tories committed to spending plans only until 2010 - likely general election 2010. The policy will be 'reviewed' in 2009 - leaving lots of scope for electorally exciting shifts of spending between departments. Osborne has cleverly duped you all into doing his work for him by telling the British voter that he is prudent and careful with their money, without boxing himself in at all. It's Clause 4 without having to go through with it. Masterful.
John Lea
February 6th, 2008 1:28pmFraser claims that he would 'pay the police properly'. Perhaps he could explain why? Most of them seem happy to spend their time driving around in their fast patrol cars (on the lookout for that most Brownite of criminal, the speeding motorists). The rest of their time seems to be spent filling out forms and arresting people for having 'unacceptable' views about minorities. Obviously the government must take the blame for the emasculation of our police force. Nevertheless, I would only pay the poice more money on the condition that they actually got out of their cars now and again and tackled the real (violent) crime that exists on our streets.
Fraser Nelson
February 6th, 2008 1:57pmVictoria, I agree with one exception - "everyone" isn't listening as this debate bores the hell out of most folk. Its a fun sport for us on the right. I suspect a consensus on this is fast approaching. John, my point is simple: the police pay rise was agreed by an independent arbitration panel. I'm happy to rest with its judgement. I agree with your criticisms of our unreformed police, but if you support an arbitration system (I do) then you go with its decisions. As Thatcher and Major did every time. Jo: many tanks, but i could never be an MP. I dont have enough family members to employ.
jo7
February 6th, 2008 2:04pmI think your James Forsyth would make a much better PM than young Nelson.
Fac ut gaudeam
February 6th, 2008 3:25pmMelanie Phillips for PM!
TGF UKIP
February 6th, 2008 7:12pmJohn Lea makes an excellent point and Fraser just how much are police paid. Despite lots of Press coverage of their recent march nowhere did I see published exactly what the average provincial constable's gross earnings are p.a. My belief is that it would be a gobsmacking amount bolstered by ultra generous rates for overtime made necessary by alarming rates of absenteeism which puts even the rest of the public sector to shame. Under Labour's bribing of the police force, standards of recruitment, performance and respect for the police have fallen while total remuneration has rocketed. So Coffee Housers who can put me wise, just what are the gross average earnings of a provincial constable with say three years experience.
Fraser
February 6th, 2008 7:30pmTGI UKIP - a constable starts at £21k rising to £26,331 after 3 years and £32k after a decade. Again, I'm not defending that per se - but saying I'm happy to accept the decision of the arbitration panel! Interesting to see split in the right on this. Civitas says pay the bobbies, Reform says no...
TGF UKIP
February 6th, 2008 9:30pmFraser, I believe these figures bear no relation to the actual GROSS earnings including overtime or to put it more accurately, colluded overtime - ie one man's absenteeism provides another man's overtime. The other unspoken police scandal is the proportion of female officers. Over 40% is one figure I've been given yet the overwhelming number of crimes (particularly) violent are committed by males. So in the wild west weekend town centres how many of the male officers trying to keep our young cowboys in order are on overtime because the girls, understandably, can't hack it? I suspect the police of today can be demonstrated to be remarkably similar to the Fleet Street printers pre-Wapping and Warrington. As ever I'm happy to be proved wrong.