Old habits die hard
Peter Hoskin 2:59pm
We all know about Brown's control-freakery when he was at the Treasury. And that he maintains a tight grip on matters economic from No.10 is equally common knowledge. But I still find stories like this one in today's Standard grimly amusing. This quote from a "Whitehall official" just about sums it up:
"Is there an economic plan [coming from Gordon Brown]? We keep reading about it in the press but, if there is one, we have not been told about it or shown it.At the risk of sounding like an armchair psychologist, this clam-up-and-talk-to-no-one approach to policymaking is hardly advisable for our embattled Prime Minister. Now - more than ever - Brown needs to be bringing people on board his project. Choosing to ignore them will just add to the ranks of those who want to see him go. And it could spell doom for Relaunch No.157.Frankly, nobody seems to be very sure what is going on. Presumably the Chancellor is involved but even that is not absolutely clear."
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C Powell
August 4th, 2008 3:38pm Report this commentLook, it's going to be something spectacular - a windfall tax and money for kiddies or old people or similar - and it will be spun like mad for 24 hours until it all starts to unravel and probably a few weeks/months later it will all have to be changed when it turns out that more people than not are worse off or that it is illegal or counter-productive or whatever. (See 10p tax, CGT, tax on non-domiciles, the 2p rise on fuel duty etc etc.) Or it'll be something which appears spectacular but is in fact much less than it seems (see inheritance tax etc). It doesn't matter who's involved because GB doesn't listen to advice. Repeat ad nauseum until the GE.
William Norton
August 4th, 2008 3:44pm Report this commentThe New Economic Policy is probably going to be very like the "new industrial strategy" which followed the exit from the ERM: mark time and whistle.
John Page
August 4th, 2008 4:29pm Report this commentAnd the press this morning had officials at No 10 talking to energy companies. Doubtless departments who actually know about this are out of the loop - as the DWP was when tax credits came in. He just can't help himself, which is why he will never be a team player.
Hereford
August 4th, 2008 4:40pm Report this commentIs the sign out to stop anyone from entering and squatting in No 10 while he's on holiday?
gordon musgo
August 4th, 2008 5:39pm Report this commentSurely destroying the bits that remain of the economy in the name of 'saving the planet' will be a major part of the plan....
mitch
August 4th, 2008 8:32pm Report this commentIts gonna be carbon trading! they invent a la la currency which the energy companies have to buy to operate and......oh its a tax thanks snotty.
Trumpeter Lanfried
August 4th, 2008 9:28pm Report this commentGordon's idea of an economic plan: More taxes.
anthony a
August 4th, 2008 11:54pm Report this commentI don't suppose you need to involve too many officials given this latest "recovery" plan has been worked out of the back of a receipt from the Tesco in Lowestoft.
Silent Hunter
August 5th, 2008 8:53am Report this comment"Brown needs to be bringing people on board his project"
He has a 'project'?????
LOL
Is it to fleece the middle class and waste the money on another unworkable policy?
You should read Polly Toy Bees article today at the Grauniad 4 Labour rag..........hilarious!
The woman is clearly losing the plot!
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