Osborne has a few cards up his sleeve, but no aces
James Forsyth 6:44pm
In some ways, George Osborne will always be haunted by his 2007 Tory conference speech.
That speech and the reaction to his commitment to raise all estates worth less than £1 million out of inheritance tax contributed to Gordon Brown not calling an early election. It has a claim
to be one of the most important speeches in modern British politics — it is certainly the one that saved the Cameron project. But it has also created an expectation that Osborne has a set of
aces up his sleeve every time he stands up to give a big speech.
Tomorrow’s speech won’t see the Chancellor pull out any unexpected trumps. Osborne’s team is sanguine that the headlines of the evening bulletins on Tuesday and Wednesday’s front pages will be dominated by the OBR’s forecasts and so most of the big announcements are already out there. I’m sure, though, that the Chancellor will have kept a few things back for tomorrow to sweeten the pill and to emphasise his theme that he’s doing what he can to help hard pressed families.
What we will see tomorrow is a conscious effort by the Coalition, and particularly the Tory half, to stress that the autumn statement is part of an ongoing process; the constant work of keeping Britain out of the sovereign debt spiral that more and more European countries are being dragged into. The fact that the Chancellor is heading to Brussels as soon as he has sat down also emphasises the headwind that the British economy is running into as it tries to move forward.
What will matter far more than the Autumn statement is how the coalition handles the break-up of the Euro — an event that is looking more likely by the day. That will be the moment at which Osborne will face another 2007-style, decisive moment.
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David Lindsay
November 28th, 2011 7:30pm Report this commentYes, George Osborne is an extreme social liberal who has voted to retain abortion into the very latest stages of pregnancy and against requiring the providers of fertility treatment to take account of the child's need for a father, but in favour of allowing two persons of the same sex to be listed as the parents on a birth certificate.
Yes, George Osborne is also a hardline neocon internationally, again as one does not really expect from a man who is impeccably a proper toff.
Yes, George Osborne has never expressed any remorse, not only for having belonged to an organisation for the purpose of becoming drunk and disorderly before committing criminal damage and even assault, but also for cocaine use and for visiting prostitutes.
Yes, George Osborne wants the Eurozone to become a fiscal union, a single state, a country called Europe.
But he is in favour of restoring a manufacturing-based economy diffused around the country. He is in favour of using the full force of the statute law to impose an absolute division between retail banking and investment banking. He is rumoured to be about to freeze increases in train fares. He is in favour of using public money to pay businesses to take on unemployed youths. And he is in favour of similar State aid to small businesses generally.
Now, is there any chance of passing the Chancellorship of the Exchequer to a supporter of manufacturing, of a truly national economy, of a British Glass-Steagall, of affordable public transport, and of harnessing the power of the State to create jobs and to keep businesses family and community-friendly, but not in favour of infanticide, of hilarious yet pernicious denials of biological reality, of the neoconservative war agenda, of juvenile delinquency, of illegal drug use, of prostitution, or of Eurofederalism?
AndyinBrum
November 28th, 2011 7:43pm Report this commentMore chance than you stopping frothing at the mouth
David Dee
November 28th, 2011 7:51pm Report this commentYes we know the way Boy George,so called because of his liking for certain drugs and of wanting to be humilated by Mistress Pain, works.
We remember his last big 'winner' IHT proposals giving massive tax cuts to millionaires. (whatever happened to that. Did some 10 year old tell him that it might be damaging to his credibility (ho,ho,ho)
Bring it on, it will,obviously save us from the double dip that is a natural progression from the current flatlining and a plan that creates unemployment but not jobs.
What a lightweight oik !!
DZ
November 28th, 2011 8:42pm Report this commentDL 7.30
Spot on.
Heartless Curmudgeon
November 28th, 2011 8:48pm Report this commentOnly one important issue here: - why is the CoE wearing a day-glo waistcoat? Moonlighting on Car Park duty perhaps?
Otherwise you've lost me.
alan scott
November 28th, 2011 9:31pm Report this commentReally hard to know what to make of David Lindsay; some days, a beacon of light into troubled waters, and other days (micshievously?)bent on creating troubled waters.
Mr Danger
November 28th, 2011 10:13pm Report this commentSeriously David, you troll dozens of websites with your insane rants, can't you please please please let us have just this one to ourselves?
Cynic
November 28th, 2011 10:32pm Report this comment"The fact that the Chancellor is heading to Brussels as soon as he has sat down also emphasises the headwind that the British economy is running into as it tries to move forward." Too much to hope that George would consider trimming our tribute to Brussels, I suppose. That way, he'd have to borrow less.
Occasional Ostrich
November 28th, 2011 11:37pm Report this commentalan scott 28th, 9:31pm
No such doubt about David Dee, though?
TrevorsDen
November 28th, 2011 11:39pm Report this commentWhat an arse you are Mr Lindsay. But its good to be reminded of the inanity of you and your fellow travelling loony tunes.
TrevorsDen
November 28th, 2011 11:45pm Report this commentOh dear - no sooner do you get past Mr Lindsay than Mr Dee appears spouting drivel and then we are hit in the solar plexus by a flurry of bon mots from Heartless.
Richard Calhoun
November 28th, 2011 11:45pm Report this commentOsborne,for me,is too political in that he puts party before country.
Surely,if as you forecast the break up of the euro is inevitable, he is going to be faced with far more austerity cuts than we would ever have believed possible ...unless of course they take the hyperinflation route!
I would not put it past this coalition government to settle for the hyperinflation route if it's deemed the best way to stay in power
Verity
November 29th, 2011 12:03am Report this commentWell,well, well. This is the first time I have agreed with anything David Lindsay has written. In fact, it's the first time I've been able to finish reading one of his posts.
Sir Everard Digby
November 29th, 2011 7:13am Report this commentDavid Lindsay- I am sure George will apologise for the follies of his youth - will the remainder of the political classes be doing so too? As for the other habits you mention perhaps we could have a general apology from members of both Houses with similar histories?
As for replacing him,the animal you seek does not exist and never will. The corporatists rule.
Verityred
November 29th, 2011 8:04am Report this commentLindsay, the weasel like cut and paste troll with the Milliband E fixation (both geeks who spout nonsense).
Keep your silly offerings on the pages of your nowhere man's blog please. You mistake incoherence for intelligent comment.
Verityred
November 29th, 2011 8:05am Report this commentLindsay, the weasel like cut and paste troll with the Milliband E fixation (both geeks who spout nonsense).
Keep your silly offerings on the pages of your nowhere man's blog please. You mistake incoherence for intelligent comment.
Tarka the Rotter
November 29th, 2011 8:15am Report this commentJust listening to the morning news - economic forecast gloomy, likelihood of increased taxes and borrowing next year etc - and it struck me (yet again)...why not just stop sending taxpayer's money to the EU and Africa and India and China and anywhere else? Fulfill all promises relating to smaller government and Bonfire of the Quangos and surely there'd be more left in the pot... I need to lie down
Widmerpool
November 29th, 2011 8:56am Report this commentPossibly one card the Boy has up his sleeve is that the Chinese prefer the cut of his jib to the dreadful Eurocrats!
See FT yesterday for interview with Chinese Sov Wealth Boss CIC were the people who were so unimpressed with the Eurocrats and their begging bowl
RCE
November 29th, 2011 10:29am Report this commentTarka the Rotter has it right.
The path is downward until we get a political leadership that understands the relationship between numbers and the real world and the absolute necessity of stopping the crazy, crazy spending.
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