Whatever happened to Labour's economic message?
Peter Hoskin 3:42pm
For some weeks now, Labour have struggled to project a clear voice on the economy. You
can see what they've been trying to do: pitch themselves as an alternative to immediate, deeper cuts, whilst also accepting the requirement to deal with the deficit. But, as I've said before, this all too often comes across as nervous equivocation; a kind of
"on the one hand, on the other hand" stuttering that won't persuade many observers either way. You sense that Team Miliband have tried to correct this in recent weeks, with a few punchier
performances, but, even then, mistakes and deceptions have greased into their offering.
Anyway, I mention this because Alan Johnson's interview with the Times (£) today only adds to the confusion. The
New Statesman's Mehdi Hasan has already highlighted the two key passages, but they're worth repeating
here. First up:
And then Johnson adds:"The former cabinet minister insists he is actually an instinctive cutter."
From the perspective of the right, this is sensible talk from Johnson: cutters have a privileged place in our politics, and the 50p tax rate is not a policy for the long-term. But it does present his party with one or two problems. One of Labour's favourite attacks is that the Tories are cutting for the sheer enjoyment of it, but how does that work when their own shadow chancellor is an "instinctive cutter"? And how does Johnson's attitude to 50p chime with his Ed Miliband's claim that he would "keep the 50p rate permanently"? Opposition never promised to be straightforward, but Labour are only making it more difficult for themselves."I am only backing 50p [top rate of tax] for the times we are in. It is not ideal; five years ago (we) wouldn't have done it. Our policy has to be based on fairness and what encourages people to do well."
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GeoffH
November 13th, 2010 4:03pm Report this commentI think we should offer up thanks that AJ will never actually be the *real* Chancellor of the Exchequer.
R.McGeddon
November 13th, 2010 4:40pm Report this commentAfter yet another incredible Labour economic mess, there is no such thing as a credible Labour economic message.
TrevorsDen
November 13th, 2010 5:05pm Report this commentLabour want to pretend there is no need for cuts and even if there were theirs would be better easier softer than the govts.
Even if there were cuts they are not labour's fault and really since Gordon Brown was so wonderful everything bad is clearly the govts fault.
lescam
November 13th, 2010 5:58pm Report this commentLabour; "Our cuts are better than yours"
Coalition; "No, our cuts are better than yours"
A plague on both of them.
GDT
November 13th, 2010 6:17pm Report this commentIt went "tits up" in about 2001 I believe.
Edward McLaughlin
November 13th, 2010 7:58pm Report this comment"Whatever happened to Labour's economic message?"
Right now, it's just being dealt with by responsible adults.
Paddy
November 13th, 2010 8:11pm Report this comment"Whatever happened to Labours economic message".
Have they got one!
Robert Eve
November 13th, 2010 10:21pm Report this commentThe important thing is the cuts continue.
niffy nog
November 13th, 2010 11:50pm Report this commenthttp://www.ifs.org.uk/publications/5354
Roger Davies
November 14th, 2010 8:33am Report this commentCuts? More like brushes with a feather. The real issue is real jobs that make stuff to export to reduce, or even reverse, the balance of payments deficit. That means reducing taxes to stimulate investment. I see nothing in this package, other than hope, to address this matter.
libertarian
November 14th, 2010 9:57am Report this commentErm, don't know if any one has noticed but so far there hasn't actually been any cuts. Government are still pi**ing our money away on nothing in particular. More quango's to come too.
All this goes to show is that politicians of all parties talk nonsense. All sound bites and yah boo stuff. None have them have the guts to implement the real solutions to our problem. Which is simply a wholesale cull of the political class from top to bottom. To remove anyone earning £15k or less from income tax altogether, to remove all of the ludicrous employment red tape, hold a referendum on the EU, and let SME's create jobs and wealth
Clear Memories
November 14th, 2010 10:44am Report this commentThose this financial illiterate would have us believe Labours are the Party of Cuts?
He's just as bad at English as Maths, having missed the 'n' out of the word that would truly define them accurately!
John Goode
November 14th, 2010 11:43am Report this commentI'm undecided as to whether the Labour Party is financially incompetent, delusional or deceitful.
Their rhetoric seems to indicate that they have no idea about the difference between the Annual Budget Deficit(£149bn per annum predicted for 2010 by the ONS) and the National Debt (£0.9 Trillion on-balance sheet and anywhere between £4 to 8 Trillion including off-balance sheet items). This could be unintentional indicating gross incompetence or intentional indicating deceitfulness or delusion on a grand scale.
Every member of the parliamentary labour party should be required (at their OWN expense) to pass a basic bookkeeping and a GCSE level economics course before being allowed to continue.
ollie
November 14th, 2010 12:59pm Report this commentI just wonder how long it will be before the vast majority start realising what Labour are, and their polling plummets.
There are good reasons why Labour were unelectable all those years - and they appear to be embracing those reasons all over again.
Ed Miliband and Alan Johnson would seal this country's fate in a heartbeat - a third world backwater with hyper inflation and command and control economics.
They are a menace that must not ever again get a sniff of government.
PuppetMaster
November 14th, 2010 1:56pm Report this commentMaybe a more important question is, why hasn't Cameron cut the 50p tax rate, given that he knows it will raise less money than a lower rate?
There is no chance of the country being saved with this kind of cowardice, but we could say the same thing about the taxes on electricity and gas, under the climate change act. Countless businesses will close down, thousands of old people will die.
Those whom the gods wish to destroy ....
dorothy wilson
November 14th, 2010 7:47pm Report this commentOn last week's Channel 4 programme on the financial mess we are in Johnson was asked what the size of the debt was. He didn't seem to have any idea.
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