Politics

1 November 2008

Fraser Nelson reviews the week in politics

The United States is facing budget deficits and bank bail-outs as large as Britain’s, yet Barack Obama’s main campaign pledge is to offer tax cuts larger than those of John McCain. Visitors to the senator’s website are asked ‘What’s your Obama tax cut?’ and invited to calculate the size of their rebate. Of course, any tax cuts would have to be debt-financed and — ergo — what Mr Osborne calls an ‘unfunded tax cut’. Yet this is coming not from the unreconstructed Right but from one of the most left-wing Democrats ever to run for the White House.

Mr Osborne has the brainpower to devise a well-crafted Tory tax cut message with at least the power of Mr Obama’s. He has the audacity to break free of that old Tory curse: fear of what Mr Brown might say. A Tory tax policy could convey the message which has resonated so strongly for Mr Obama — that the Tories wants fundamental change, and have a palpably better plan to speed Britain out of recession. If Mr Osborne has been truly chastened by the events of last week, he will grasp the urgent need for such a message. There is no time to waste.

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Louise Stanley

October 30th, 2008 2:49pm Report this comment

Fraser - how much of what you say will have an impact? The Tories under Cameron have had three years' worth of advice, and they haven't taken it because they assume the best because of "time for a change". Now the government is being pro-active for a change, most of the sites out there suggesting intelligent ideas for the Tory Party don't seem to be making any waves with the actual party.

I would be astounded to see anything come of this article - until the party moves into defcon III mode (or is that IV?). By which time it will be too late.

allymax

October 30th, 2008 11:32pm Report this comment

the glasgow herald has stopped putting up comments posts because it knows the Scots are gojng to trash new labour in the glenrothes by=election

On more thing; elish angiolini, allymax has got you on the ropes. Yer dead in the water when he airs your private life.
allymax.

gordon-bennett

October 31st, 2008 6:21pm Report this comment

As usual, it's all about the mainstream media. In the USA the media are in the tank for obama and whatever he proposes (whether he means it or not) is accepted uncritically (except by Fox).

In the UK most of the media and above all the beeb serve as the same uncritical messengers for the labour party.

The Conservatives have to operate in a milieu where whatever they say or do will be interpreted as the wrong proposals by the "nasty party".

Recently, George Osborne has had to pretend that he made a mistake in the deripaska affair just to get the media off his back. I have heard many commentators (including you, Fraser) say that GO made an error of judgement without actually specifying what the error was.

David Preiser

October 31st, 2008 9:25pm Report this comment

What a mess the Tory Party has become ever since they breathlessly elected the young Cameron as leader. A lack of confidence and soul caused them to choose him for all the wrong reasons, and they're still lacking today.

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